Family Affair
by Jo. R
Summary: Follow-up to my story 'Possession' but can be read alone. A new case, old faces and relationships changes afoot. Abby/Gibbs, Tony/Ziva and slight McGee/other later on.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Family Affair  
Author: Jo. R  
Rating: T/mild M later on (15+)  
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs, Tony/Ziva, slight McGee/other  
Spoilers: Slight spoilers for character-related info mentioned in 'Frame Up', 'Ravenous', 'Bloodbath', 'Ex-File', 'Internal Affairs', 'Judgement Day', 'Last Man Standing'  
Summary: Follow-up to my story 'Possession'. A new case, old faces and relationship changes.  
Authors Notes: Second NCIS fic – thanks for the great response to my first :)

* * *

Soft country music played in the background but she could barely hear it above the steady breathing in her ear. Abby Sciuto couldn't bite back the giggle that erupted when another puff of air caused her hair to move and tickled the skin of her still tender neck.

"I'm trying to concentrate," she chastised with a grin, turning her head slightly to glance at the man behind her with sparkling green eyes. "If I screw this up, you'll have no one but yourself to blame, Gibbs."

He chuckled, the sound a low rumble close to her ear as his breath disturbed the locks of hair tied up into a messy pony tail. The arm around her waist tightened as the hand resting over hers continued to guide it and the block of sandpaper over the smooth grain of his boat. His new boat – one he'd begun to build just days ago. "Not much to screw up at this point, Abs."

She snorted indelicately and let her head lean back against his shoulder as she stared at their joint hands. "I'm sure I can find a way."

They worked in silence for a few moments and Abby let her mind wander to the events that had led them to this point. She stifled a shudder at the memory of being held captive by the crazy Steven Laffiter, the man who'd filmed every moment of her abduction to taunt Special Agent Jethro Gibbs and the rest of his team, the man who'd removed the cobweb tattoo on the back of her neck without permission but thankfully without leaving a scar. It'd only been a week since he'd been killed, a bullet to his head courtesy of the NCIS Agent standing behind her but she was already beginning to feel more like her old self – as much as she could, anyway.

She'd spent all of her time recuperating at Gibbs' house – on his orders. He'd even taken time off work to be with her, to make sure she was okay – hence the new boat beginning to slowly take shape in his basement. Abby had finally convinced him that it was time for them both to go back to work but now, on the eve of her first day back at NCIS since her abduction, she was beginning to wonder if she was really ready for it.

Gibbs' house had become a safe haven, a place she hadn't had to leave unless he was at her side. The others came to visit her often – most nights, in fact – and she did feel guilty at being responsible for taking away some of Gibbs' privacy by being the cause of so many out-of-hours visitors to his home. They hadn't talked about her moving out to her apartment but she knew she'd have to soon – the fact that they didn't really talk at all was beginning to bother her, especially as she was certain he knew how she felt about him but had yet to let her know if there was a glimmer of hope those feelings could ever be reciprocated or not.

They were definitely close, she thought to herself, enjoying the warmth of his body as it almost cradled hers, but then they'd always been close. Gibbs had always been more open and affectionate with her and just because he touched her more and invaded her personal space on a daily basis whilst she remained his houseguest didn't mean that he felt the same attraction for her that she did for him. She rationalised it as being his way of showing her he cared, that he'd been worried about her and was relieved she was okay.

It meant he cared, even loved her – it didn't mean he was in love with her.

But then there was that kiss, no matter how brief it'd been...

The sigh escaped her before she could stop it and her hopes that maybe he hadn't heard it were dashed when his hand stopped its soothing movements and he took a half-step away from her.

"Something wrong, Abby?" The arm around her waist shifted, his hand resting on her hip as he gently turned her away from the boat to face him. Concerned blue eyes bore into her when she reluctantly lifted her gaze to his.

She couldn't lie to Gibbs; hadn't been able to in the nine years they'd known each other. Still, she tried, forcing the corners of her mouth upwards in an attempt at a smile. "I'm fine." The sceptical look he gave her made her smile droop a little. "I was just wondering if you were getting sick of me yet. And thinking that my apartment's probably feeling neglected, if it's even still in one piece. Or unless I've picked up a roommate without knowing it while I've been here." The latter was said with a thoughtful air, an acknowledgement that her apartment wasn't in the safest part of town and wasn't exactly a secure building.

A frown marred his brow and Gibbs stared at her intently in silence as the seconds ticked by. "DiNozzo's been keeping an eye on the place," he said eventually, evading her main concern quite smoothly. "You don't need to worry about squatters stealing your stuff – what little of it hasn't been moved here, anyway."

"I'd noticed that," the smile that curved her lips was small but genuine. Her TV, DVD player and vast collection of CDs and DVDs had slowly made their way to Gibbs' house in the seven days she'd been staying there as his guest, as had most of her wardrobe thanks to Ziva David, Timothy McGee and Tony DiNozzo, all of whom were determined to make her as comfortable as possible regardless of what their boss had to say about his home being invaded in such a way. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that their visits had always coincided with a visit from Doctor Donald Mallard, who always seemed to find something desperately urgent to talk to Gibbs about whilst the others trouped in with her belongings and stashed them away in various rooms of the house. Her smile faded and she forced herself to hold his gaze. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Gibbs, but I really don't want to outstay my welcome and I don't want you to feel like you've gotta let me stay here out of some stupid sense of obligation..."

"Obligation?" His eyebrows rose and he took a slight step forward, satisfied when she instinctively stepped back and came into contact with the bones of his boat. "You really think that's why you're still here, Abs?"

Abby swallowed impulsively but refused to let herself be intimidated. "Isn't it?" She returned in an attempt at evenness, her voice a little huskier than normal despite her best efforts to remain unaffected by his closeness. "Why am I still here, Gibbs? Why'd you bring me here in the first place instead of leaving me at the hospital or letting one of the others volunteer to watch over me? McGee would've let me stay at his place, so would Ziva. Even Tony would've been willing to give up his bachelor pad..."

Her voice trailed off as he shifted again, chest brushing hers as he crowded further into her space. Her back was pressed against the curved wood beams they'd been sanding, the smell of sawdust and Gibbs having a heady, almost intoxicating effect on her senses.

"Abs..." His voice was lower than she'd ever heard it, more of a growl than a whisper. He leaned forward, his face just inches away from her own. "Maybe it's time we had that talk now."

Her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips and her eyes dropped away from his for a split-second. "Maybe it is."

The air between them grew heavy with tension as the silence stretched out between them. Abby debated internally whether to make the first move or not, tilting her face up to his. She watched the emotions flitter across his features, saw the uncertainty in his eyes fade into something else as ice blue heated and darkened. Her breath caught in her throat, the distance between them growing ever-smaller in painstaking increments. She felt his breath, warm on her face, and fought against the impulse to close her eyes, wanting to be able to remember and savour every single second...

"Abby..." Her name was a whisper, said with such awe that her heart rose in her chest and beat an unsteady rhythm against her ribs. Gibbs lifted a hand to her cheek, finger stroking her skin tenderly as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

Their lips had barely had a chance to meet when a loud bang from above startled them both. Abby leaned against the boat as a frustrated sigh escaped her while Gibbs steadied himself with his arms resting on the wood either side of her. They both glanced up at the first creak of the stairs, surprise showing on both of their faces as the identity of the intruder became apparent.

Making her way half-way down the stairs to the basement level before she spoke, the retired Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann barely batted an eyelid at the scene before her, instead choosing to focus on Gibbs, a confident smile stretching across her face as he dropped his arms wordlessly to his sides.

* * *

"Hello, Jethro."

Gibbs gave Hollis Mann a brief glance before turning his attention back to Abby, cursing internally at the untimely interruption as he tried to regain his composure and steady his racing heart. He smiled a little as he looked at her, disappointment and uncertainty on her face, and it was all he could do not to lean in and kiss her despite their audience.

"Am I interrupting something?" Mann asked, an eyebrow arched when both Abby and Gibbs started, having forgotten her presence.

The word 'yes' was on the tip of his tongue and Gibbs opened his mouth to reply when a gentle hand to his chest stopped him.

"Nothing that can't be continued later." Abby gave a little shrug when he gave her a questioning look. "I think I might call it a night. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow and I need to get some sleep."

She made to move by him, her arm brushing his when Gibbs stopped her with the slightest of touches. Ignoring his former girlfriend, he lifted his hand to brush her black bangs back from her face, fingers lingering deliberately. He covered the distance between them to brush his lips against her cheek in a familiar gesture, pleased that she blushed when he pulled back.

'This isn't over,' he signed, eyes locked with hers. 'I'll follow you up soon.'

Abby smiled and gave him a small nod, some but not all of the disappointment lifting from her eyes. The smile faded as she passed Hollis, giving the other woman a wider berth than necessary as she skirted around her to reach the base of the stairs.

Gibbs watched her leave, unable to tear his eyes away, and only when she disappeared from view did he turn to his boat and begin clearing away his tools, inwardly berating himself for forgetting to lock the front door. In the week Abby had been staying with him, he'd foregone his usual routine of keeping the door unlocked, preferring instead to keep his home secured against intruders as a small measure in keeping Abby safe. He'd only forgotten that evening because they'd ordered take out, he remembered, and his hands had been full with bags from the local Chinese when he'd arrived home.

"Not the welcome I was hoping for," Mann spoke wryly, evidently grown tired of being ignored. "I'm sorry if I caught you off-guard. I did consider calling but thought I'd surprise you instead."

"Should've called." Keeping his back to her, Gibbs walked from the boat to his bench, neatly storing the tools in their rightful places. He tensed when he heard her approach and kept his back straight when two slender arms wound themselves around his waist. "I'm not interested, Hollis."

Her arms dropped to her sides but she didn't move away, staying stubbornly close even as he turned to face her. "I missed you," she told him honestly, her eyes shining with genuine regret. "I should never have left with things the way they were between us."

"Shouldn't but you did." Gibbs shrugged and took a step to the side, bypassing her easily. "It was for the best. Guess I should thank you, really."

"You don't mean that." Her confident demeanour slipped a little but she regained it quickly, shaking her blond hair back from her face as she moved to follow him across the basement. "Jethro, I know I made a mistake but so did you. You should have trusted me enough to tell me about your family. I shouldn't have had to hear it from your ex-girlfriend."

The way she said it, the way she so-casually dismissed the late Director Jenny Sheppard caused his hackles to rise and Gibbs spun on his heel, throwing her a heated look. "Maybe it should tell you something that I trusted Jen and not you."

He failed to mention how Jenny Sheppard had discovered the truth or the fact that no one in his close knit group had known the truth until he'd had no choice.

A shadow passed over her face but it was gone before he had a chance to decipher what it meant. She gave him a sympathetic smile instead, reaching out to put a hand on his arm and apparently unfazed when he moved so she couldn't reach him. "I heard about Director Sheppard. I'm sorry, Jethro, I know you were still close to her." When he said nothing to acknowledge her condolences, Mann continued talking. "I wanted to give you a heads up because of our history. Director Vance contacted me and offered me a position at NCIS. I accepted, on a trial basis, so from tomorrow, we'll be working together again. I just thought I'd give you the courtesy of knowing before you show up at the office tomorrow morning."

Gibbs stared at her blankly, speaking only when several minutes passed and he realised she had no intention of leaving without something more from him. "Am I supposed to say thank you?" He waited for a moment. "What Director Vance decides has nothing to do with me unless it affects my team and I doubt your assignment to NCIS will. I have my team, you'll have yours."

"We'll be part of the same team, Jethro. Both working for NCIS out of the same office... Avoiding each other will be impossible, no matter how hard we might try. I wanted to clear the air to make sure you wouldn't feel uncomfortable but I see now I shouldn't have wasted my time." Annoyance crept into her tone and she pushed by him to get to the stairs first. She hesitated half-way up the stairs, almost as though she was waiting for him to say something.

He didn't.

Gibbs waited until he heard her leave, wincing a little at the slamming of his front door before he traced her steps, hitting the light switch on his way out of the basement. He detoured to the front door, making sure it was locked securely before turning off the lights ad making his way upstairs, stopping by the bathroom to answer the call of nature, slip out of his jeans and exchanging his t-shirt for one that wasn't so covered in sawdust.

He did a quick check of the upper level of the house, making sure lights were off and windows were closed before slipping into the master bedroom, closing the door softly behind him as he stood ad waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Once he could see the faint outline of the bed, Gibbs made his way forward, easing himself onto the mattress carefully as he slipped under the covers and settled himself against the pillows. In a matter of seconds, Abby rolled towards him in her sleep, head nestling against his shoulder as her body curled around his.

Neither had mentioned their sleeping arrangements, or how it just seemed to have become routine to share his bed. He'd started off in the spare room, insisting she needed the rest so should have the better bed but somewhere over the course of the week, he'd started sharing it with her, both managing to sleep better than ever in the company of the other. He smiled in the darkness, wrapping his arm around her to secure her body to his as he closed his eyes. The tension in his limbs caused by Hollis' unexpected visit eased in Abby's presence and he found himself drifting off to sleep, lulled by the comfort he got from the warm body beside him.

* * *

A bouquet of black roses sat on the desk in Abby's office. Ziva David studied them with a critical eye, arms folded across her chest.

"Glaring at them won't make them go away," Tony DiNozzo advised wryly from the doorway. "They're flowers, not probies."

"Shut up, DiNozzo." She tore her gaze away from the floral arrangement to glare at him instead. "They do not look right. I want everything to be perfect for Abby's return but I cannot see what is wrong."

Tony said nothing, swallowing the usual teasing retort out of gratitude. He knew Ziva and Abby had gotten closer in the years they'd been working together but he still remembered the animosity between them at the beginning and was pleased that the sometimes distant Mossad Officer as willing to go to so much trouble to make Abby's return perfect. "Looks a bit lopsided." He moved a few of the stems, head tilted to one side and then stepped back to stand beside her. "How's that?"

"Better," Ziva agreed after a moment's contemplation. She shifted to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Do you think Abby will like it?"

"She'll love it." He gave her a reassuring smile, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. Together, they walked away from the desk, out into the main part of the lab. "Did you hear we've had a new recruit?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Mann, yes." She gave him a sidelong look but was successful in her attempt at keeping her expression neutral. "Sorry, Special Agent Mann. I overheard Director Vance talking about her assignment on my way to my car last night."

Tony nodded knowingly. "Which is why you've gone to the trouble of finding black roses for Abs."

Ziva let one shoulder rise and fall in a casual shrug. "I was going to get her a cupcake but thought the flowers would last and may keep her ghosts up longer."

"Spirits," he corrected with an easy, almost affectionate grin that he tried to hide from her as she glanced his way. "Keep her spirits up longer."

"Spirits, yes. Whatever." She waved a hand dismissively and led him out of the lab towards the elevators. "I am concerned that her presence may make it harder for Abby to settle back into her lab. It has been almost a month since she was last here."

The reminder of how long it had been dragged a sigh from Tony's lips. The first two weeks of Abby's absence had been difficult as they'd had to deal with a temp in place of their bubbly and undeniably skilled forensic scientist but the week after had been worse, when they'd realised she hadn't left voluntarily and had been subject to a mad man's whims for a fortnight without them even realising she was gone. The last week had been spent trying to get her lab back into the condition Abby liked and expected, whilst simultaneously working a case without their boss and their favourite lab tech.

"You know Abby," he said eventually, letting her precede him into the elevator when it arrived. "Give her some loud music and a caf-power and it'll be like she never left. The lab's her second home; it won't take her long to get back into the swing of things."

"I hope you are right, Tony." Ziva stared at the metal doors ahead of them, stepping out as soon as they slid open, confident that Tony was following right behind her. She paused, sensing him come to a stop at her side. The former Army-Colonel-made-Special-Agent Hollis Mann stood in the middle of the bullpen, apparently in the midst of an animated conversation with Director Leon Vance. "I really hope you are right."

* * *

They hadn't spoken about the interruption the night before in much detail. Gibbs had explained the purpose for Hollis Mann's visit, studying her carefully to gauge her reaction. Abby, for her part, worked just as carefully to keep her thoughts to herself, remaining non-committal to the news whilst she reminded herself that there was no commitment between herself and Gibbs – and even if his ex was back on the scene, it was her who woke up wrapped up tightly in his arms.

"You sure you're ready for this, Abby?" Gibbs cut the engine to his car and twisted in his seat as they sat in the car lot of NCIS Headquarters. "If you want a few more days..."

"To sit around wondering what state I'll find my lab in?" She aimed for a light smile, all the while knowing it wouldn't completely reach her eyes. One hand was pressed against her stomach, where butterflies fluttered anxiously, whilst the other fidgeted with the black and red scarf she had tied around her neck in lieu of her usual collar thanks to the still healing skin. "I'm fine, Gibbs. I need to get back to work and so do you."

He reached out to take the hand fidgeting with the silk scarf, his fingers tangling automatically with hers. "If it gets too much for you, if you want to go home, find me and let me know. There's no shame in needing more time to take care of yourself, Abs."

A wry smile curved up the corners of her red-painted lips. "So says the guy who took all of an afternoon off when he was shot in the shoulder."

"That's different, Abby." The concern didn't lift from his eyes, making them a slightly darker shade than normal. "An injury like that doesn't compare with what you've been through."

"I got to be the houseguest of a psycho in a crappy house for a while. I'm over it. Well, not really _over_ it but I'm okay. Really," she insisted, bringing their joint hands so she could brush a reassuring kiss over his knuckles. "I need to keep busy or I'll keep going over it in my head. I keep thinking there was something I should've done, a way to escape or let you know sooner that I was in trouble... Besides, you need me here. Tony says things are backing up in the lab because the temp who was covering for me quit on Tuesday and if you catch a major case this week, you're going to need someone you can rely on to process the evidence and put a positive spin on things..."

"Is that what you do?" The smallest of smiles played on his mouth, affection almost entirely replacing concern in his expression. "Put a positive spin on things?"

"Positive, quirky, unique... Same thing," Abby decided cheerfully. She leaned across impulsively and pressed a quick kiss to his smiling lips. "Admit it, Gibbs, you need me." She untangled their hands and had her car door open before he could protest. "Life without me would just be dull and boring and you'd forever be lost without me."

Gibbs moved quickly, opening his own door and stepping out, shutting it behind him before walking around to her side of the car. He waited until she'd fished her backpack out from the backseat and straightened before reaching passed her to close the door, pressing her against it as he did so, regardless of the security guards and multiple cameras no doubt capturing the moment on film.

"Gibbs..." She didn't struggle or protest against the action, just tilted her head up and gazed at him curiously, surprised he'd make such a move in clear view of so many people.

He lifted a hand to her face, stroking her cheekbone before lowering his hand to rest against the skin of her neck not covered by the scarf. "I would be lost without you, Abby. That's why I can't ever lose you."

He felt as well as saw her swallow, watched as a flush spread over her cheeks while her green eyes darkened slightly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Gibbs said nothing but took a step forward, body pressed against hers as his other hand came up to cup her face. His fingers stroked her skin softly, carefully, as though he was afraid she'd break if he was too rough. A finger ran over her lips and she shivered, parting them instinctively just moments before his mouth descended on hers.

Nothing interrupted them, not even the sound of a car alarm going off nearby could penetrate the air that surrounded them.

His lips were gentle at first, cautious and sweet. Abby let her eyes slide shut, unaware that Gibbs did the same as her arms wound around him, one hand playing with the silver hair at the back of his neck. She felt the tentative touch of his tongue against her lips and opened them, eagerly accepting his need to deepen the kiss, tasting the bitter aftertaste of the morning's coffee mingled with something uniquely Gibbs.

They parted after several long moments, both breathing heavily. Abby leaned against the car as Gibbs leaned into her, his forehead pressed against hers as he struggled to regain his composure enough to pull away completely.

"We have to go inside," Abby murmured, easing back just enough to look comfortably into his eyes.

Gibbs exhaled slowly, hands sliding down to rest at her waist. "Yeah. Work awaits."

A small smile broke out across her face and her ordinarily pale cheeks turned a pretty pink in colour. "I was thinking more along the lines of not giving the security guards any more of a show without having to charge them to view it."

He glanced over his shoulder, saw one incredulous looking guard standing next to his grinning companion and felt his cheeks heat.

"Oops?" Abby supplied, a little too cheerful to be seriously bothered by the witnesses. He studied her carefully and realised with a jolt that that her sparkle was finally back, her smile finally reaching her eyes. "C'mon, Gibbs. We've got jobs to do, lives to save..." She pushed him away with a gentle hand against his chest, making up for it by linking their arms together as she threw her backpack over her other shoulder.

"Lives to save?" Gibbs let her lead him across the lot, easily forgetting the security guards they left behind as he focused on the woman walking beside him, a bounce in her step he hadn't realised he'd missed until it was back after an extended absence.

"Sure!" She threw him another bright smile. "You know, you catch a case, catch the bad guy, save the innocent, give comfort to the victims grieving family... You save lives. Well, make some of them a little bit better. Not without my help, of course, but we've already discussed that..."

Her voice and animated chatter comforted him as they entered NCIS Headquarters together, calming the nerves he would never admit he felt.

* * *

To the surprise of the other members of Gibbs's team, Abby was unfailingly polite to the newly appointed Agent Mann, actually welcoming her to NCIS before slipping away to her lab, much to the bemusement of her colleagues.

"Agent Gibbs."

"Agent Mann."

The former lovers were cool to the point of icy towards one another in comparison, curt with each other because of the Director's presence but unable to disguise the palatable tension between them.

"I was just explaining to Agent Mann that I don't have a team picked out for her yet," Director Leon Vance told Gibbs with an assessing look. "Perhaps you and your team can give her guidance on which available Agents she might like to consider?"

A second of silence.

"Agent Lee is good," Timothy McGee supplied, wincing only a little at the looks he got from his partners. "She's not part of a team at the moment."

"Thank you, Agent McGee." Mann rewarded him with a pretty smile. "I look forward to meeting her." She glanced at Gibbs, a flicker of disappointment on her face that was carefully masked by another smile, this time aimed at the Director. "You said you had some personnel files for me to look at, Director?"

Director Vance returned her smile and motioned to the stairs. "They're in my office. Shall we?" He escorted her with a hand to the small of her back, a nod the only form of acknowledgement of Gibbs and his team got as he whisked the newest addition to NCIS away.

"Phew." Tony made an exaggerated gesture of relief and hurriedly walked to his desk before Gibbs had a chance to issue his customary head slap. "Welcome back, Boss. Did ya miss us?"

"Like a hole in the head, DiNozzo." Gibbs sat down at his own desk, pleased to see it was relatively clear of paperwork to catch up on. "Why don't I have any coffee?"

McGee almost leapt to his feet at the implied order, appearing almost pleased to have an excuse to leave. "On it, Boss."

Gibbs watched the younger Agent fumble with his jacket, which caught momentarily on the back of his chair, waiting until just the right moment to add to his order. "Pick up a Caf-Pow while you're there, McGee."

"Not a problem, Boss."

Ziva smiled at her computer screen as McGee scurried off to the local coffee shop, her anxiety fading as they settled quickly back into their usual routine. Her smirk grew as the phone on her desk began to ring, the lit up button showing the call originated from the forensic lab.

An almost deafening squeal assaulted her ears, followed by the enthusiastic babbling she associated with the Goth forensic scientist. She laughed, unable to help herself, and ignored the surprised looks from her colleagues.

"You are more than welcome, Abby. It is good to have you back." She listened for another moment, tilting her head to the side as she contemplated what was being said to her. "I should be able to get away for lunch. Unless we get a case, of course," she added at the look she received from her boss. "Okay. Bye, Abby." She hung up with a smile and lifted her gaze to meet Tony's when she became aware of his staring. "Is there a problem, DiNozzo?"

Tony grinned, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed above his head. "Just wondering if it's an exclusive lunch date or if you'd like an escort?"

"Since when do I need an escort, Tony?" She rolled her eyes at him dismissively. "Abby and I will be fine on our own, thank you."

"Ah, I see." He gave her a knowing look and lowered his voice meaningfully. "I sense a girl talk moment coming on. Will there be a slumber party, pillow fights? I'll do your hair, you do mine? Can I come?"

Gibbs tuned out Ziva's response, fighting back a smile as he logged onto his computer and reached for his mail.

It was good to be back.

* * *

Lunch was a strictly girls-only affair and the state in which Abby and Ziva returned mildly concerned him. Gibbs wouldn't admit to being worried that she was out of reach for the first time since her return, nor would he admit to being more than a little concerned at what details Abby had chosen to share with her friend. From their smiles and laughter as they made their way into the bullpen, he could only assume that their conversation had indeed taken a personal turn.

Still, Ziva didn't act any differently towards him and the sight of Abby looking so cheerful was enough to waylay any serious concerns he might have had. She positively glowed, beaming at him when she caught him looking at her.

"Have fun, ladies?" Tony raised both eyebrows at the women who had their arms linked together.

"Much!" Bouncing a little on her feet, Abby smiled impishly as Ziva lowered her head to hide a blush. "Don't look so disappointed, Tony. We brought back leftovers."

Abby disentangled herself from Ziva and walked over to Tony's desk, setting down a previously unnoticed brown paper bag. She opened it and fished out a small box, pushing the rest of the bag towards Tony. "This is for McGee. You can have the rest." She moved over to McGee's desk, setting the box down with a bright smile at McGee. "It's not a cupcake but it's full of chocolate goodness."

"Thank you, Abby." McGee smiled at her, reaching for the box gratefully. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the chocolate brownie inside, stomach growling in appreciation. "Looks great."

"Oh, it is. Almost better than sex," Abby informed him with a serious expression. Without waiting for his reaction, she turned on her heel and started for the elevators that would take her down to her lab. Halfway there, she paused and turned back, fixating on Gibbs with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, Gibbs, the results you wanted should be in if you're interested."

A split second of confusion followed, none of which showed on his face. Gibbs got up from his seat, barely noticed by Tony and McGee, who were both already engrossed in their leftovers, and followed her to the elevators, a hand resting on the small of her back.

"Results, Abby?" He murmured, leaning close to whisper in her ear. She gave him a blinding smile in response, taking his hand and tugging him into the empty elevator when it arrived. "What results am I supposed to be waiting for?"

She just laughed and waited for the doors to close behind them. She leaned across him to hit the emergency stop button, smirking when his hands reached out to steady her as the metal box came to a sudden halt. Turning in his arms, she grinned up at him, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders.

"It wouldn't have been fair not to bring you something back but I thought you'd prefer to get it in private."

Before he could ask, she pushed him back against the wall of the elevator and rose up on her feet so she could press her lips against his. After a second's hesitation, he responded, opening his mouth to let her tongue sweep inside, their kisses laced with coffee and chocolate from her own dessert. His fingers dug into her hips through the material of her black jeans, pulling her body closer to his before he spun them around and pinned her against the wall so he could take control of the embrace.

Her hands moved from his shoulders, smoothing over his chest through his shirt. She toyed with the top button, fighting an internal battle of restraint against desire. It was only when she felt his finger against the soft skin of her back beneath her t-shirt that she remembered the decision she'd come to less than an hour before and the real reason she'd enticed him into the elevator with her – okay, she corrected herself mentally, the second real reason.

A groan of protest escaped him when she pulled back, an almost smug smile arranging her swollen lips. She reached up with a hand that wasn't entirely steady to wipe away the smudges of lipstick around his mouth, her fingers lingering against his skin.

"Three dates," she told him, her voice wavering a little under the weight of his gaze.

Gibbs blinked, trying to clear his head enough to process the two words and make sense of them. "Any dates in particular or just random ones off the top of my head?"

"No, Gibbs. Not date-dates. _Date_-dates." Abby took another step back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want three dates. Three, proper dates. I'm going to move back into my apartment, you're going to take me out on three dates..." She smiled even as her cheeks became tinged with pink. "Then we'll discuss sleep overs."

"_Discuss_?" It was his turn to smirk, amused at her ramblings.

"Okay. So there'll probably be very little discussion and more action but you get the point." She bit down on her bottom lip. "You do understand, right? I mean, you're okay with... y'know. Waiting. A little."

He considered the request, his expression thoughtful. "Three dates," he repeated slowly "I can work with that."

"You can?" Abby sounded both surprised and disappointed, covering it with a sheepish smile when he arched an eyebrow. "I mean, good. That's good."

"Abs..." He pushed himself off the elevator wall and stood in front of her. "It doesn't mean I don't want to because I do. A lot. But I want to do this right, the way you deserve."

Relief flooded her features even as her blush deepened. Still, uncertainty lingered in the depths of her eyes. "Well, now that's settled, I really do have to get back to work. You won't believe the state my lab is in. The backlog of evidence is appalling, Gibbs. I have to log and process it all and distribute it to the different teams and hope it's not too late to catch the bad guy." She reached passed him to reactivate the elevator, a gasp escaping her when he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. "Gibbs...?"

"Three dates, but you're not moving back into your apartment." He brought a hand to her lips when she started to protest. "I'll move into the spare room but you're staying where I can keep an eye on you. No buts, Abby. For my own piece of mind, I need to keep you where I can get to you if you need me."

"What about me being in a place where I can get to you?" She tilted her head to the side, pigtails jiggling with the motion. "Seriously, Gibbs, moving back to my apartment might be the only way I can stick to the three-date rule."

Gibbs tried not to smile but couldn't keep his face entirely straight. He was flattered, part of his brain still having trouble believing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. "I'll put a lock on the door," he murmured, reaching passed her to activate the elevator. "Get back to work, Abby. Come by the bullpen when you're ready to go home."

Realising there was no point in arguing with him, Abby gave him a sloppy salute and skipped out of the elevator when it came to a stop on her floor. Gibbs waited until the doors were closed before letting the smile spread over his face.

* * *

Their first day back went smoothly and, true to his word, Gibbs moved back into his spare bedroom that night. They didn't discuss plans for their first date nor did they exchange more than a few short kisses as they attempted to slow down the pace of their progressing relationship.

At three am in the morning, Gibbs was awoken by his cell phone after having finally fallen asleep, unaccustomed to sleeping alone in a bed that wasn't his. He was half-dressed when the door to his room opened and a sleepy looking Abby walked in, rubbing her eyes as her tousled hair hung around her face.

"Problem at work?" She yawned, crawling into the mess of tangled sheets he'd left behind, savouring the lingering warmth and the scent on the pillows she'd spent most of the night missing.

"I'm needed in MTAC. Director wouldn't say much." He watched her bury her face in his pillow as he buttoned his shirt. "I'll have Ducky swing by and pick you up on his way into work."

Abby mumbled something undecipherable, cracking open an eye when the bed dipped under his weight as he sat beside her. "I can call a cab. No need to drag Ducky all the way over here for nothin', Gibbs."

"You're not 'nothing', Abs. I'll call Ducky if I can't get back for you myself." He ran a hand over her tangled hair. "Get some sleep."

"Mm'kay."She gave him a sleepy smile, snuggling further into the blankets. "Have fun."

"Sure I will, Abs." Gibbs made himself stand up and walk away, knowing every second he spent in the room was one second more he had to resist the temptation to crawl into bed with her and go back to sleep. He jogged down the stairs, locked the door behind him and let the new day begin.

* * *

There was a group already waiting for him in MTAC when Gibbs arrived. Director Vance, Agent Mann and Ziva were waiting for him, the latter apparently as in the dark as he was as to why they'd both been called.

"Agent Gibbs, glad you could join us." Director Vance gave the officer at the control desk a nod. "Now we can begin."

The screen flickered to life and a man who was somehow familiar appeared on the screen. As Gibbs tried to place him, Ziva took a step forward and did the job for him. "Father?"

"Ziva." Director Eli David gave his daughter a warm smile before he addressed the others in turn. "Leon, my friend, it is good to see you though I wish the circumstances were different. Special Agent Gibbs, an honour to finally place a face to the name. I have heard much about you and your team from my daughter. And you must be Agent Mann, Director Vance tells me you will be working alongside Agent Gibbs and my daughter in this matter."

"And what matter would that be?" Gibbs asked mildly. "Directors?"

"A matter of National and International security, Agent Gibbs." It was Director David who answered, all pleasantries push to the side as business took over. "Mossad recently became aware of a rogue operation we believed to be operating out of Israel. Further intelligence reports suggested that the cell here is just one of many all over the world and that the main base of operations is in your country, Agent Gibbs. We were successful in our attempts at tracing the Israeli base and managed to take one of the operatives working out of our country into custody while his partner escaped, presumably back to the United States."

"The operative you captured, how much has he told you?" Mann looked between the two Directors. "Has he told you what kind of risk this organisation poses?"

Director David gave a troubled sigh. "A very high one, to us all. Before he... expired... the man we know as Tariq Varlin informed us that his group have been stealing and selling top secret information from a variety of agencies all over the world. They don't care about the chaos that could be caused by such a breach of security not do they seem to care who they pass the information to as long as they make a profit. We believe they have damaging intelligence gathered about Mossad, NCIS, the CIA, the FBI, MI5, the KGB and Homeland Security amongst others. Such information does not only jeopardise the lives of many innocent civilians across the world but could also be used against any agent or officer who works for us and their families should someone with a grudge against a particular individual or agency get hold of it."

"You have evidence lifted from the cell you found in Israel?" Gibbs clenched his fist, a familiar feeling of anger beginning a slow burn in the pit of his stomach. He thought about the Agents he knew, about the people who would pay to hurt them and their families, thought about the terrorists who'd salivate over the kind of information Director David alluded to and felt sick.

"I do, Agent Gibbs. I am on my way to Washington DC with it now."

"You're coming here?" Ziva clasped her hands behind her back as she stared at her father. "Is that safe?"

Director David's gaze softened as he looked at his daughter. "I will be well protected, Ziva. I have to ensure that the evidence is personally delivered to NCIS, for my own piece of mind."

She understood, of course, but couldn't ignore the dread that coiled in her stomach at the thought of her father leaving the relative safety of Mossad Headquarters in Israel. She knew he was a prime target for many of Mossad's enemies and travelling the world would make him even more vulnerable to attack. "Who do you have travelling with you?"

"My top officers, after you, of course." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Do not worry so, Ziva. I shall see you soon. Leon, Agents Gibbs, Mann." He nodded at the three people doing their best to blend in to the background while he spoke to his daughter. "I must go and board my second plane of the day."

"We'll see you soon, Eli." Director Vance returned the nod with one of his own just seconds before the transmission ended. He turned to his agents, his expression solemn. "What Director David was unable to tell you via the feed is that we believe this organisation has a wide spread network of operatives, some of whom may work for the agencies who have been compromised."

Gibbs frowned, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Is there any evidence to say there's someone working out of NCIS?"

The expression on the Director's face said it all. "Discretion is of the upmost importance, Agent Gibbs. While I want you all to cooperate with the other agencies involved to eradicate this threat, I must ask you all to investigate your colleagues at NCIS and report any suspicions directly to me." Director Vance raised a hand to quell the question he knew was coming. "You can tell the other members of your team, Gibbs; they've already been thoroughly vetted."

"Does that include Abby and Ducky?" Ziva asked curiously. "Abby will need to be involved in processing the evidence," she added when the Director seemed to hesitate.

"Doctor Mallard can be told if you feel it is necessary, though I'm not sure how involved in this investigation he will be." Director Vance held his head high at the twin glares he was receiving from Gibbs and Ziva. "I am still in the process of reviewing Ms. Sciuto's personnel file and have some questions I would like to ask of her and yourself, Agent Gibbs. She will no doubt be assisting you on the case but I don't want you to tell her anything more than you need to. Is that understood?"

Both of his hands clenched into fists, indignation joining anger as he glared at his boss but Gibbs gave a reluctant nod of his head. "Perfectly," he said, jaw aching with the effort to control his temper. "I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have now if you've got the time." When the Director nodded in response, Gibbs took in Ziva and Agent Mann with one hard look. "Call DiNozzo and McGee. Get them briefed on what's going on."

"Shall I call Abby...?" Ziva spoke up just as he turned to follow Director Vance out of the room, the concern she concealed from her voice showing on her face.

"I'll call her when I'm done," Gibbs answered eventually, not wanting to involve the forensic scientist until he knew why her loyalty was being questioned. He didn't want to upset her or cause her to worry, not until he knew whether there was something for her to worry about. "This won't take long."

Ziva watched him stalk out of the room and wrapped her arms around herself when Agent Mann moved away. She chewed anxiously on her bottom lip, unsure who she was more worried for; her father, or her friend.

* * *

To his credit, Leon Vance didn't wince as the door to his office was slammed loudly behind him. He walked steadily to his desk, settling himself in his chair before he lifted his eyes to stare at the irate agent in front of him.

"I suggest you take a seat, Agent Gibbs," he motioned to the chair opposite his desk. "This may take longer than you think."

"I doubt that. I've known Abigail Sciuto for almost ten years. I took part in her interview myself, reviewed her references and the background check that was carried out at the time. She is one of this agency's best assets and you're out of your mind if you think for one minute she's involved in this." Anger made his eyes flash though they remained as cold as ice. "I will not tolerate you dragging her name through the dirt because you're struggling to find a scapegoat to blame for any leaks you might have found in NCIS."

"Take a seat, Agent Gibbs." The Director's tone was hard. "I am aware of Ms. Sciuto's assets and I am aware that she is one of the best in her field. However, I have some questions I'm not sure even you will be able to answer." He waited, for several moments, until Gibbs reluctantly sat down opposite him. "The first matter is a sealed file that exists in her record. Despite the high clearance she was given when she started working for NCIS, the contents of that file was never disclosed and cannot be accessed without a warrant. I don't want to go down that route if it can be avoided, Agent Gibbs. I don't want to give Ms. Sciuto a reason to leave us if she is uninvolved in this situation." He crossed his hands over a file on his desk and met Gibbs' gaze. "Has she ever mentioned the contents of the sealed file to you?"

"I've never asked," Gibbs answered honestly. "She was fifteen years old when that file was created. It has no relevance to her work here at NCIS and is no one's business but hers unless she chooses to share it."

Director Vance moved his arms, hands resting against the file. "How much do you know about Ms. Sciuto's family?"

Gibbs shrugged, struggling to keep calm against the voice in his head that told him to keep quiet, to respect Abby's privacy and the trust she had placed in him. "I know she has a brother who likes to travel and a sister who is deaf, like her parents. Her parents died in a car accident in New Orleans eight years ago, the other driver was never found."

"Are you aware a substantial amount of money leaves her bank account after she's been paid and is transferred to an account both her brother and sister can access?"

"I became aware of the fact that Abby financially supports both of her siblings after Laffiter disclosed the information when he had her captive. We haven't talk about it but I assume it's why she lives in a crappy apartment when she should be able to afford better on her salary – unless we're not paying her as much as we should be." He kept his expression neutral. "I assume there's a reason you pried into her personal accounts?"

The Director grimaced and opened the file, picking up a photograph and sliding it across the desk to Gibbs. "Can you identify either of the men in this photograph?"

His brow furrowed, Gibbs picked it up carefully and stared intently at the two men in the picture. One he didn't recognise at all but the other he'd met on a few occasions, one being at the funeral of Ben and Gloria Sciuto. "The man on the left is Nick Sciuto, Abby's brother."

"The man on the right was identified by Mossad as being the second operative in the Israeli cell. The one who got away." Director Vance leaned back in his chair, studying Gibbs' reaction. "Can you think of any reason why he might be meeting with Mr. Sciuto in Venice, where the picture was taken?"

Gibbs could think of no such reason. "I know Nick travels a lot. It's possible he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He lifted his gaze from the photograph. "If he is involved, I can guarantee Abby doesn't know about it. She would have come to me."

"Like she came to you when she filed for a restraining order against Mikel Mawher?" He waited a beat, letting his agent consider it. "I don't want to believe she has anything to do with this, the opportunity to gather the kind of intel we're talking about has been there." The Director took back the photograph and slid it into the file. "I would advise you not to mention this to Ms. Sciuto. If she isn't aware of her brother's involvement, it would be in her best interests to keep it that way until we know more."

He wanted to argue but Gibbs knew Abby's innocence would be better proven by genuine surprise at seeing the photograph first hand. "I won't tell her. My team will have questions; you mentioned your suspicions in front of Ziva and they're just as protective of her as I am."

"All the more reason to get this over with." Director Vance grimaced. "I suggest you call Ms. Sciuto and ask her to meet us here. If she divulges the contents of the sealed file, we'll work under the assumption that she doesn't know any more than she should about the situation. I want to believe in her, too, Agent Gibbs. I know she's had plenty of job offers over the years and has shown nothing but loyalty to NCIS and her colleagues."

Gibbs stood, his posture tense. "If you wanted to believe her, you would. Abby isn't capable of doing anything that would hurt someone else. She's not like us."

He walked out before Vance could comment or question him. The Director picked up the file and placed it in the top drawer of his desk, his expression troubled as he considered Gibbs' reaction and his absolute faith in the forensic scientist.

He wanted to believe his agency was safe from spies, free from informants but the connection between the Sciuto siblings and the man Mossad had identified was impossible to ignore.

* * *

The three of them sat crowded around one desk, backs to the other agents milling around the bullpen in the early hours of the morning. Ziva had updated her teammates on the conversation held in MTAC within the first ten minutes of their arrival and the group were now discussing Director Vance's implication against Abby with varying degrees of outrage and anger.

"Doesn't he think she's been through enough?" McGee whispered furiously. "Like she'd do anything against NCIS – or any other agency for that matter, unless Gibbs told her to."

"He's making it really hard to like him," Tony agreed, clenching his jaw. "It's one thing to split up up, another to go after Abby. Gibbs is so not going to be happy."

Ziva glanced up at the mention of their box, past experiences telling her that he had a knack for appearing whenever his name was said. She let her shoulders slump a little in relief when he failed to materialise, fixing her gaze on the door to the director's office. "He has been in there for some time. Do you think we should call Abby and warn her…?"

"Call her at Gibbs' place?" Tony arched an eyebrow. "We're not supposed to know she's still there, are we?"

"He took her home last night," McGee pointed out. "And we haven't been asked to help move her stuff back to her place yet."

"We could just call her on her cell phone and see if she answers?" Ziva looked between them. "I do not want her to get upset by this."

"Neither do I, David, which is why I'm gonna go get her and bring her in to sort this mess out." The sound of Gibbs' voice made them all jump. They turned to face him, guilt on their faces. "The next person I hear talking about it gets transferred to Antarctica."

"Yes, Boss."

They watched him pause momentarily at his desk, grabbing the gun from the drawer automatically. "Director David emailed some of the less sensitive reports across. McGee, get them off that thing. Ziva, you might need to translate. DiNozzo, you and Ziva go to the airport to escort the Director and his guards here if I'm not done by then."

Tony opened his mouth to protest, closing it with a snap of his jaw at the sharp well-aimed kick to his ankle. He instead glared at Ziva and held his silence until Gibbs was safely enclosed in the elevator. "What was that for?"

"I was saving you from yourself," Ziva retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You were bound to say something that would anger Gibbs and in his current state, I did not think that was wise."

"You might have ended up needing brain surgery, Tony," McGee agreed, wincing at the thought. "Can't remember the last time I saw Gibbs this angry."

The three lapsed into momentary silence as they contemplated their boss's mood. They'd seen Gibbs angry many times – it was almost a fortnightly occurrence – but he was always harder to deal with when there was a personal connection between his anger and the cause of it.

"He got really pissed when you and Director Sheppard were under investigation for the murder of La Grenouille," Ziva pointed out thoughtfully. "He tries to protect those he cares about and gets frustrated when he is unable to do so."

"He should be able to protect Abby," McGee answered after a short pause. "She's done nothing wrong."

* * *

An array of colourful scarves were spread out all over the bed in front of her. She surveyed them each with a critical eye, trying to decide which one would look better when the white shirt she'd chosen to wear. Not one of her scarves would work, Abby decided with a sigh, not even the cute black one dotted with skull and crossbones.

Resigned to the thought she'd have to make do with only a necklace, Abby raised her arms and undid the plaits she'd woven her hair into earlier. She shook her head, letting her hair fall about her face in tangled curls.

"Should've got Ziva to bring my straighteners," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair. Her hand lingered near her neck, fingertips gently running over the area of skin where her tattoo used to be. With a sigh, she walked into the en-suite mirror, pulling her hair away with one hand as she traced the area with the fingers of the other hand. The skin was as healed as it was going to get, still slightly pink with a slightly shiny surface associated with a new layer of skin.

Seeing it bare, without the familiar black lines, etched painstakingly into her skin still caused a surge of something indescribable in her stomach. Her eyes stung for a second until she blinked the unwelcome moisture away. She let her arms drop to her sides, watching as the hair fell over her shoulders, concealing her neck from view.

"No pigtails today, Abs?" So engrossed in her thoughts, Abby didn't sense his approach and gasped as she spun around to face him, a hand pressed against her racing heart. "Sorry," Gibbs apologised, lounging casually against the doorway of the bathroom. "You okay?"

"Peachy." She smiled for him but the concern didn't ease from his eyes. "I thought Ducky was coming to get me."

"Change of plan." He didn't move from the doorway, just watched and waited for her to move. She turned back to the mirror, taking her time in applying her make-up. He noticed her hand wasn't quite steady as she applied the red lip colour to her mouth but said nothing, just biding his time.

When she was finished, she put everything back into the case she'd been keeping her things in whilst staying at Gibbs' house, hoping he'd get tired of looking at her and leave her alone so she could compose herself. She'd answered his questions about her captivity, written a statement and followed the procedures she'd had to but she'd refrained from speaking about how it affected her as much as she could. She didn't ordinarily mind sharing her innermost thoughts and feelings with Gibbs but while their relationship was changing and left her uncertain of the new boundaries between them, she wanted to wait until she'd had a chance to reacclimatise to everything that had happened before opening her mind to anymore else – even Gibbs.

When everything was put away neatly, Abby glanced in the mirror and met his gaze. There was something on his face she didn't like, something that made her stomach turn over uneasily.

"Something's wrong." It was a statement, not a question. She flattened her hands against the bench either side of the basin and steeled herself for bad news. "Is everyone okay...?"

"Everyone's fine."

She turned, disbelieving. A dark eyebrow arched in question as she crossed the room towards him. "You're scaring me, Gibbs. Just tell me what's wrong."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Gibbs reached out for her, resting his hands on her hips and tugging her gently against him. His fingers curled and flexed around her curves, his eyes closing as she leaned against him, head resting comfortably against his shoulder. He let his cheek rest against her hair, inhaling the aroma of her shampoo and specially-made gunpowder fragrance and the underlying scent that was distinctly Abby.

Abby wrapped her own arms around his waist, snuggling into his warmth even as nerves fluttered in her stomach. She let herself linger in his arms for several long moments, her instincts telling her she'd be grateful for the memory the comfort his embrace gave her when it was over.

She pulled back first, hating the look of regret in his blue eyes even without knowing its cause and squared her shoulders. "Tell me."

Gibbs took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, lips pressing against her knuckles in a tender, almost reverent gesture. "In the car, Abby. The Director's waiting for us."

* * *

He hated lying to her but kept himself from mentioning the photograph on the way back to NCIS Headquarters. He told her about his conversation with Director David, about the suspicions they all had regarding spies in various agencies and about Director Vance's determination that any such moles within NCIS would be found immediately, meaning that every member of personnel needed to be investigated.

Abby included.

"Why me?" Her nose crinkled in confusion as she watched his hands tighten on the steering wheel. "I had a pretty thorough background check when I started. And I'm always getting checked before giving evidence in court or whenever we work with the FBI – I know they say they don't do background checks on us all but I'm pretty sure they do. They're almost as paranoid as the CIA and that's saying something."

Gibbs hesitated, choosing to busy himself with turning the car with care around a corner he'd usually have no qualms about. "The Director read your personnel file, Abs. He saw you have a sealed record."

She tensed, her face growing paler as he watched from the corner of his eye. She clasped her hands together on her lap, knuckles painfully white against the black material of her short skirt. "I was a minor when that file was created. It's got nothing to do with NCIS."

"I know, Abby, which is why I've never asked you about it." He reached across to cover her hands with his, surprised at how cold she felt. "He's going to want to know what's in it, Abby. Until you tell him, he's going to think you're hiding something."

"I am hiding something." She gave a snort of laughter but it wasn't a happy sound. "That's kind of the point of sealed records, Gibbs. But you know that." She pulled her hands free of his, waiting till he took the hint and removed his hand from her lap before crossing her arms across her chest. "Will everyone else need to know what's in it?"

Gibbs shook his head, staring out at the road ahead, grateful he knew the journey well and didn't have to concentrate on where he was going, just on the traffic that stood between them and their destination. "Just Director Vance."

"And you." She said nothing more, waiting until the car was parked in his usual spot before turning to him. "I want you to be there." She reached out tentatively, resting a cold hand on his leg.

"Then I will be." He covered his hand with hers, lacing their fingers together. "You're not alone, Abby. You're never going to be alone again."

The uncertainty on her face made her look more vulnerable, as did the trembling smile she managed to force upon her lips. "Can we get it over with? I just want it done."

They walked in silence into the building, through security and into the elevators. He stood behind her protectively, ignoring the glances they got from agents wondering why the usually vivacious forensic scientist stared down at her feet instead of greeting them all with smiles and enthusiastic chatter. He took her hand when they entered the bullpen, leading her passed the desks of his team and up the stairs towards the Director's office without comment.

Together, they entered the room when Director Vance called out for them to do so.

* * *

"Abby didn't look happy." McGee winced when two hands slapped him on the back of his head. "Ow! What?"

Tony frowned at him as Ziva watched their boss and friend walk silently up the stairs. "Stating the obvious, McGee. She wouldn't even look at us."

"Neither would Gibbs." Ziva's eyes narrowed as the pair disappeared, her eyes dropping to her watch. "We have to go, Tony. My father will be arriving in an hour."

His frown disappeared as his colour waned. "There's still plenty of time, Ziva. Traffic's not that bad, especially with your driving."

"Scared, Tony?" Ziva smirked, her concern momentarily pushed to the side as she enjoyed her partner's discomfort. "I assure you, you have nothing to worry about." She glanced at her watch again. "For another fifty-seven minutes, at least. How you behave in front of my father may or may not change that but he won't hurt you unless he is provoked."

"I'm not scared of dear old dad," Tony protested, ignoring McGee's knowing look. "Your driving on the way to the airport, however..."

"I will let you drive," Ziva offered, her smile amused. "If that is all you are concerned about."

Tony's glee at the minor victory died quickly when the car keys were thrust into his hand. He looked down at them and swallowed hard. Ziva's father was a man he'd heard little about, but what he had heard was enough to make him lose his appetite more so than meeting his ex-girlfriend's arms dealer of a father. Not that Ziva was his girlfriend – no, she was more than that; they were partners, and the man he was going to meet was the man who'd decided to train his daughter to be an assassin, a soldier and a ruthless killer.

"Canary got your tongue, Tony?" Ziva's smirk deepened.

"Ah, cat," McGee corrected with a smile. "The cat got the canary and your tongue."

"I do not have a cat, McGee," Ziva protested, forehead furrowed as her attention was momentarily diverted.

Even the mistake failed to amuse him as it once would've done. Tony instead pocketed the keys and glanced almost longingly at the desk scattered in reports printed McGee had printed from Gibbs' computer. "You sure you don't need me here, McGeek? There's an awful lot of reading to do..."

"There'll be more when Director David gets here." McGee grinned. "You go and help them bring everything back here."

"It was an order from Gibbs," Ziva reminded him in a sing-song voice. "Come on, DiNozzo. Stop being such a baby."

"I'm not a baby." Tony glared at her hand clenching around the car keys burning a hole in his pocket. "Just... worrying about Abby. Maybe I should stay here in case she wants to talk once she's done with the Director."

His teammates looked at him sceptically. "You think she would talk to you?"

"Over Gibbs?" McGee chimed in, eyebrows raised. "You don't exactly have a great track record of talking to Abby when she's upset, Tony."

"Better than you, McDork." Tony's eyes narrowed. "Who's she more likely to come to, you or me?"

"Gibbs," Ziva answered on McGee's behalf, impatience edging her words. "And if he were not available, she would go to Ducky. They will be a while, Tony. If we leave now, we may even be back before they are finished."

Unable to think of another excuse, Tony reluctantly left with Ziva for the airport, leaving McGee to split his time between reading reports and looking anxiously up at the stairs for any sign of Gibbs and Abby reappearing.

* * *

Her hands were folded sedately in her lap. Abby fixed her gaze on the back of the framed photo on Director Vance's desk, unable to meet the Director's eyes as he recounted everything Gibbs' had told her in the car. She fought the urge to fidget, working hard to keep her body in what felt like an unnaturally still state.

"As you're no doubt aware, we do comprehensive background checks on all employees when they first start at NCIS. I was reviewing your file, Ms. Sciuto, when I became aware of a sealed record in your past. As it dates back to your childhood, I'm sure it has no bearing on the current crisis we may find ourselves facing but you understand why I have to ask." Director Vance clasped his hands, resting them on the desk in front of him. "I would like you to give us authorisation to open the file without a warrant, though it would be in your best interest to disclose its contents before we were to do that."

"I'll sign whatever forms I need to in order to grant authorisation but I'm not saying anything until I have your word that the contents of that file will go no further than it has to." Abby looked up at him for the first time since entering the office, a vaguely haunted expression on her face. "While it has no relevance to NCIS, it would have a bearing on my personal life and I'd like your word that you'll help minimise any impact it might have."

A little taken aback by her eloquence, the Director paused for only a second before nodding his agreement. "It will go no further than this office and a few, select individuals. You have my word."

"Okay." Abby bit down on her bottom lip and stared down at her hands. "My father was a drunk. Not my adopted father, my biological father. Ryan Montague. He was rich, so he got away with doing a lot of stuff he shouldn't have done, including beating my mother and, when she wasn't available, beating me. Turns out there are some advantages to having a deaf wife and daughter –you can beat up the other kid without anyone hearing anything." She forced herself to lift her head, meeting first Director Vance's gaze before glancing over at Gibbs. "He beat us on and off for five years. When Gloria had Nick, things changed for a bit. He was calmer, didn't drink as much. I thought it was because he finally had the son he wanted and things would be fine but one night he came home really, really drunk. Nick was teething and wouldn't stop crying. Gloria and Sophie slept through it but I heard and went to take care of him..."

Her voice broke and it was all Gibbs could do not to reach out for her. He waited, his own hands clenched, for her to continue, eyes hard but intently fixed upon her face.

"My father was there. He had a knife and there was blood on the floor. He'd cut himself, he was that drunk, and he was ranting about shutting the brat up once and for all. I attacked him before he could hurt Nick. He fell over, I picked up the knife and I stabbed him." She stared down at her hands again. "I tried to kill my father. He fought back and we must've been screaming at each other because a neighbour called the cops. We were both taken to hospital, both gave our statements... Gloria backed me up, said he'd been abusing us for years and he was arrested with restraining orders taken out against him. He said I'd tried to kill him but the Judge decided it was in self-defence and agreed to have the whole thing sealed so it wouldn't be on my record that I'd tried to kill my father when I was a kid. My Dad – Ben Sciuto – was the shrink the court appointed to counsel my family. Sophie's blanked the whole thing from her mind and my brother has no idea his biological father tried to kill him. We've had no contact from Ryan since then and I'd really like it to stay that way. If he were to find out the records had been opened, if he knew where we were..." Her head rose, her eyes panicked. "I've done everything I can to keep Sophie and Nick from finding him, to keep him from being involved in their lives and I can't let anything get in the way of that. Not even NCIS. I love it here, Sir, but if there's a chance this is going to get out because I work here, I'll have no choice but to leave. My family comes first. I haven't spent most of my life protecting them only to have it fall to pieces now."

"That won't be necessary." Gibbs spoke before the Director could. He gave the other man a hard look when Director Vance looked in his direction. "You're not leaving, Abby. You're needed here. What you've said goes no further than this room and the Director will make sure it stays between as few people as possible." Despite the witness they had in their boss, he reached across and took her hand securely in his. "Your father will never find out the records were opened."

It would take a lot of willpower, Gibbs knew, but he'd keep the promise if it killed him. As much as the voice in his head was screaming at him to find the bastard who'd hurt her and get revenge, he'd do his best to reign in on that impulse in order to keep Ryan Montague from being any more involved in her life than he already was.

Director Vance cleared his throat, fingering the file on his desk. "Thank you for your honesty, Ms. Sciuto, but there is one more thing I have to ask you about before I let you leave." He flipped open the file with a sigh, picking up the photograph and holding it out to her with a steady hand. "Do you know the man in this picture talking to your brother?"

Surprise written on her features, Abby took the photo from his hand and stared at it with a frown. "I recognise my brother," she said eventually, raising her eyes to his. "I don't... Why was someone taking surveillance pictures of my brother?"

"They weren't. He didn't interest them at the time." Director Vance folded his arms over the desk once more. "The man with him has been identified as being the second operative who evaded capture by Mossad in Israel. He was spotted conversing with your brother in Venice."

"Nick's a photographer. He had a show in Venice a few weeks ago." Abby studied the picture, her gaze flittering from the familiar face to the unfamiliar face. "He's trying to hit the big time, has a couple of shows coming up in the US. There's one in DC sometime this month I promised I go to but I'd forgotten all about it till now." She handed the picture back and met Director Vance's gaze head-on. "I have no idea who the other man in the picture is and that's the truth. I don't know what he was doing with my brother and I understand that you'll want to ask Nick about it. I can give him a call and see when he'll be in town if you like but I'd appreciate it if you'd keep my father out of any conversations you might have with him."

"Would your brother be willing to come in for questioning?" Director Vance ignored the warning look Gibbs gave him. "It would make it a lot easier for all of us if he came in voluntarily."

Abby smiled slightly. "He'll come in if I ask him to," she answered confidently. "He's a good guy. I'm sure he's got nothing to hide."

"I hope you're right." Director Vance returned her smile and closed the folder on the desk in front of him. "I think we're done here. I'm sure you've still got a lot of work to catch up on..."

"You have no idea." Abby brightened considerably at the thought of escaping to her lab and stood when the Director did, noticing Gibbs followed only a second behind.

Director Vance held his hand out for her to take, nodding when she did so hesitantly. "It's good to have you back, Ms. Sciuto. It hasn't been quite the same without you."

"Thanks. I think." She shook his head and turned to leave as soon as he released her. It was only a matter of seconds before Gibbs moved to follow, escorting her out of the office with a hand to the small of her back.

They moved to stand at the balcony overlooking the bullpen, side by side though Gibbs' hand lingered where it was.

"Are you angry I didn't tell you before?" Abby asked after a long beat of silence. She fixed her gaze on the bullpen below, watching as Agent Mann approached McGee's desk and the two struck up a conversation no doubt related to the pieces of paper spread out in front of them.

"Not angry." Gibbs shifted a little closer, watching her as she watched the duo below them. "We've both had our secrets, Abby. I'd like to think they're out in the open for the most part now."

She gave him a sidelong glance, an eyebrow raised in question. They both knew he had more secrets than she did, some of which he'd never disclose nor would she ever ask him to. "You're not having second thoughts? Not wishing... Not wishing I was someone else?" Her gaze dropped meaningfully to the blond woman talking to McGee. "I'd understand, you know. It would hurt like hell and take quite a while to get over but I'd understand..."

His body pressing against her side caused her to stop mid-sentence. Abby looked at him as the former Lieutenant-Colonel looked up at the feeling of being watched. Gibbs brought a hand to her neck, fingers moving her hair out of the way so he could feel the unblemished skin it hid.

"The only second thoughts I'm having involves leaving the house this morning and agreeing to your three dates rule." His eyes searched hers, his hand warm against her skin. He felt her pulse in her throat, felt her heartbeat increase. "You're an incredible woman, Abigail Sciuto."

A blush stained her cheeks and she smiled in spite of herself. "That's the one and only time I'll let you get away with calling me Abigail," she warned, leaning into his hand despite her words. "As for the three date rule, I was thinking about that. You cooked for me last night."

Gibbs looked at her, trying to process the leap in conversation. "I did. I always cook unless we have takeout because I refuse to let you burn down my kitchen."

Abby grinned, a glint in her green eyes. "A guy cooking for a girl in his own house sounds like a date to me. Don't you think?"

He arched an eyebrow. "One date down, two to go?"

"Mmm hmm..." She sidled closer, twisting her body slightly so she could face him. "Going out for coffee would be a great second date. I think I'll need a fix sometime around one if you can get away." She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him, slightly closer to his lips than was normal for a peck on the cheek before turning away with a mischievous grin. "I've got to get back to my lab and you've got to get back to work."

"I'll see you at 12.59," Gibbs countered, a grin playing about on his lips as he watched her descend the stairs two at a time. Leave it to Abby, he thought. She was the one wearing her heart on her sleeve, making herself vulnerable, yet she turned things around, twisted them until she was the one making things better for him, leaving him smiling when by all rights he should have been brooding over his inability to protect her even if what he wanted to protect her from had happened years before they'd met.

His smile faded as he followed her down into the bullpen just as the elevator doors opened to admit Tony, Ziva and the Director of Mossad.

"This is going to be a long day," Mann muttered, looking like she wished for her uniform back as she crossed her arms over her smart grey suit.

"The longest," he agreed quietly, standing by her side as the party approached.

"Boss..." McGee hesitated, glancing between the two of them and in the direction their forensic expert had disappeared. "Everything okay with Abby?"

Gibbs nodded, managing to give the younger agent a small smile to reassure him. "She's fine, McGee. Concentrate on the case."

Evidently satisfied, McGee returned the nod with one of his own and stepped forward to take one of the boxes Director David's men carried.

The hunt, it seemed, had begun.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much for the reviews so far - I really appreciate them :) Hope you like this part of the story - be warned there are two parts that could be classed as a mild M towards the middle, feel free to skip those if its not your thing :)

Making small talk with Ziva's father was impossible, Tony decided grimly. He'd commented on the weather, comparing it to Israel, sung Ziva's praises several times and still the Director of Mossad seemed unimpressed. He'd been grateful when Ziva had intervened, asking her father about their family and friends in Israel, thankfully keeping Director David occupied as they made the journey from the airport to NCIS.

There were some similarities between the pair but Tony failed to understand how the man sitting in the backseat of the car could have let his daughter face so much danger in her younger years. He didn't like to think of himself as a chauvinist but he liked to think that if he ever had a daughter, he would do everything he could to protect her instead of being the one to put her in danger. He knew Ziva was a capable officer and was grateful for it on some level, knowing he'd be hard-pressed to find a better partner, but at the same time he wished she'd had a different childhood, that she'd known what it was to be cherished and protected. He thought of his own childhood, of his estrangement from his father and envied the evidence closeness between Ziva and Director David even as he wished she'd grown up surrounded by security and peace instead of threat and uncertainty.

"Agent DiNozzo," Director David's voice shook him from his thoughts. "You are my Ziva's partner, yes?"

"One of them," Tony answered, flashing a quick grin in Ziva's direction. "We work with McGee, and Gibbs, of course. Ziva's great."

"I have no doubt." The Director favoured his daughter with a fond smile. "I taught her everything I know."

The smile on his own face was tight. "I'm sure."

An eyebrow rose and the Director stared at him quizzically. "You disapprove of my Ziva being a Mossad officer?"

"Not at all." Tony glanced at the woman in question, noting with curiosity that her attention was fixed on the passing scenery rather than on the conversation taking place inside the car. "She's saved my life more than once. Can't complain about that, can I?"

"No." Director David fixed him with an even gaze. "But you can wonder why I let her undertake such a dangerous occupation."

Tony smiled then, a genuine smile that only widened when Ziva glanced at him. "I don't think you 'let' her do anything. It'd take a foolish man to try and talk her out of something once she's decided to pursue it."

"Foolish indeed." Director Eli David wore a faintly approving expression as his daughter hurriedly looked away. "You understand her, yes? My Ziva can be as stubborn as both her mother and I combined. There is no dissuading her when she has decided upon something."

"None at all," Tony agreed cheerfully. "But it can be fun to try."

Eli David laughed at that, nudging his daughter companionably in the ribs where she sat beside him. Ziva's response was to mutter something in a language Tony couldn't understand, something that made her father laugh even more.

"Ah, my Ziva. You are just like your mother." Sadness tinged the older man's voice and Tony wondered, not for the first time, about the woman Ziva had never mentioned. "If she could see you now, my girl..."

Ziva softened, her smile tender as she gazed at her father. "I miss her, too."

Her father smiled at her and patted her hand before turning his attention to the window, blinking what Tony suspected were tears from his eyes. Tony tried to catch Ziva's gaze but she wouldn't look at him, instead renewing her interest in the landmarks they were passing as silence filled the car.

* * *

Just when she thought she was making headway with the backlog of evidence that had gathered in her absence and needed to be processed and catalogued, Ziva and Tony arrived, each carrying a box, while a taller man who could only be her friend's father followed carrying a third.

"More evidence, oh joy." The happy smile on her face belayed the words and she looked at the containers with interest. "What've you got for me?"

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that." Tony set his box down before enveloping her in a hug, arms wrapped loosely about her. "How you feeling, kid? You looked like crap this morning."

She returned his hug briefly before slugging him in the shoulder. "I'm fine, thanks for the compliment, Tony." She rolled her eyes and stepped away from him, peering into the boxes. "Ooh, this looks good."

"Fingerprints, hair samples, saliva samples, surveillance tapes, weapons, ammo and several substances Mossad did not have time to identify," Ziva told her with a smile, stepping back to let Abby rummage around. "There is a lot to go through," she added apologetically.

"Not a problem. It's party-time in labby-land." Abby beamed and looked up. "You must be Director David." She thought about hugging him, saw the anticipation on Tony's face, and thought better of it, instead holding out a hand. "Ziva looks like you."

Director David laughed as he took her hand, a warm sound that made her smile widen. "I daresay my Ziva would not be as flattered as I by the compliment." He lifted her hand to his lips briefly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sciuto. I have heard much about you."

"Please, call me Abby. Everyone does." She grinned again when he smiled and inclined his head in acknowledgement. "So what was Ziva like as a little girl? Did she play with dolls or was it toy guns and water pistols all the way?"

"Abby!" Ziva flushed as her father laughed again, moving to intercept the over-enthusiastic scientist. "My father does not have time for such tales. He is here for business, not pleasure."

Abby rolled her eyes dramatically and shook her head. "Yeah, right. Like he'd come all this way just to deliver evidence anyone could've brought. It's the perfect excuse to come visit your daughter, right, Director? Not that you really need one if you wanted to see her."

As Ziva opened her mouth to protest again, her father laid a hand on her shoulder. "You are quite right, Abby. I thought I would take advantage of the situation to make sure Ziva has settled well here as she has of yet failed to invite me to visit." He said this with a look at his daughter, one that made her blush and glance away, much to Abby's amusement and Tony's curiosity. "However, I must report to Director Vance's office. Perhaps we could all go out for dinner while I am here. I would love to know more about my daughter's life here in America and would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about her childhood."

Ziva muttered something in Israeli, throwing her father a dark look but Eli David appeared to take it all in his stride as Abby smirked.

"That sounds great!" The black-haired scientist bounced on her feet. "Doesn't it, Tony?"

"What? Oh. Yeah." Tony returned to the conversation with an easy smile, pulling his gaze off Ziva to focus on Abby. "Dinner and little Ziva stories sounds like a winning combination to me."

"DiNozzo..." There was a warning note in her voice but Tony just grinned at her, leaving Ziva to make a noise that was part-growl, part-huff of expiration as she took hold of her father's arm and began forcefully escorting him from the lab. "I will ensure you get to Director Vance's office," she said, not giving her father a chance to protest. "I am sure you and he have much to discuss, long into the day and perhaps even the night. We shall all be too busy to dine out, I think."

"You hope!" Abby called after the departing pair, biting her lip against a giggle. She glanced at Tony when they were alone, an eyebrow arched at the expression on his face as he stared unseeingly at the empty doorway. She watched him for several seconds, a smile spreading slowly across her face before a giggle escaped, jolting him from his thoughts into the present. "You've got it bad." She snickered at the astonishment on his face, skipping away to the other side of the bench so she could rummage around in box number three.

"Excuse me?" Tony followed her slowly, trying to ignore the way his cheeks had heated at her teasing. "I have no idea what you're on about, Abby. Think maybe someone's had too many Caf-Pows."

Abby stuck her tongue out at him before a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. "Actually, I haven't had one yet. That's weird. I had a really, really, _really_ strong cup of coffee for breakfast, though, so I guess that explains it but I'll be suffering withdrawal soon and with all of this evidence to process..." She sighed dramatically and turned to him with an exaggerated pout. "You'll be my favouritest person in the whole wide world if you got me one."

"Huh. After Gibbs, of course."

"Of course!" She looked serious for a moment, nodding her head. "After Gibbs but before anyone else if you get me a Caf-Pow..." She batted her eyelashes, the corners of her mouth turning upwards as an evil gleam glittered in her eyes. "I won't tell anyone you have a thing for Ziva if you get me one..."

"A thing for Ziva?" Tony spluttered, the look on his face comical. "Me? Nooooo... She's my partner..."

She stared at him sceptically. "You've been looking at her a lot lately," she pointed out knowingly. "And you get this dazed, almost out of it look on your face when she leaves a room, like you're hypnotised or something. You've always had a thing for her but since you guys got back to NCIS, you've more starry-eyed that normal. Don't get me wrong," she added, obviously on a roll, "I think it's really cute. You guys would make a fun couple and your kids would be gorgeous but one of you really needs to make a move soon because you know what this job's like. One minute everything's fine and the next, it's all gone to hell and someone's dead or dying. Life's too short, my friend. Seize the day! Carpe Diem!"

His hands on her shoulders stopped her from circling the bench again, holding her in place as he stared down at her in concern. "Are you sure you're okay, Abby? If someone's upset you, I'll beat them up for you. Unless it's Gibbs but I'd brave spilling his coffee if it'd make you happy."

"You would do that for me?" Abby threw her arms around him with such force he had to take a step backwards to keep from falling over. Her arms were still looped around his neck when she pulled back to look at him with a grin. "Thanks, Tony, but I swear, everything's fine. Well, not fine-fine but it will be. Especially when I get my first Caf-Pow of the day."

"Got it here, Abby." McGee paused a few steps into the lab, two brightly coloured containers in his hands, and stared at them as they disentangled themselves. "Gibbs said you'd need it to get through till lunch." He barely had a chance to lift his arms, saving the caffeinated drinks, when she flew at him, hugging him briefly though fiercely before grabbing the cups from his hands. "You're welcome."

Abby smiled and set one cup down next to her computer, sipping eagerly from the straw in the other as she walked back to the evidence. "You are my new favourite person, McGee, after Gibbs." She sighed appreciatively as she set the cup down. "Now you guys need to get out of here so I can get on with going through this stuff."

"Gibbs sent me down to help." McGee nodded at Tony. "Said you had five minutes to get back to your desk before he came looking for you himself, Tony."

"I'm going, I'm going." Tony stayed put for a moment, waiting until Abby had absorbed herself in sorting the evidence before starting to make his way out of the lab, pausing to lean close to McGee. "Keep an eye on her, Probie."

McGee gave him a small nod, concern shadowing his face before he, too, walked over to the evidence and quickly became engrossed. Rolling his eyes, Tony left the lab and the two science-minded members of the team behind.

* * *

The morning and a good chunk of the afternoon was eaten away by reviewing case files and evidence. Abby's machines were working overtime, having identified several sets of fingerprints and four different DNA samples and while her computer searched AFIS for a match, Abby and McGee sat at the computer in her office, reviewing the surveillance tapes Mossad had given them in the hopes of find some decent images of the men they were pursuing.

Upstairs in the bullpen, not a grain of wood was visible beneath reports, statements and surveillance photos, spread out across all of the available desk surfaces. Agent Mann sat at McGee's desk, talking quietly with a Mossad Officer Director David had brought with him while Tony and Ziva sat together at his desk, making notes on a file she was busy translating. Gibbs sat at his own desk, working by himself lost in his own world as he reviewed intelligence report after report, each leaving him slightly more unsettled than the last.

At half-past two, Gibbs stood up, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt at easing the knots forming in his tense muscles. He reached for the phone on his desk, hitting the button for the forensics lab as he picked up his jacket with his other hand.

"Hey, Abby. I'm going for a coffee run if you're interested." A brief smile appeared on his lips at her enthusiastic response. "See you in five." Hanging up, Gibbs looked over at Tony and Ziva to find his two agents hurriedly looking away. "DiNozzo, David, you want anything from the coffee shop?"

"Coffee, lots." Tony ran a hand through his head and leaned back in his seat. "And doughnuts. Lots of 'em." He glared at his partner when she hit him in the ribs. "Hey, I'm a growing boy!

"The only thing about that is still growing is your stomach." Ziva shook her head in disgust. "I would like some tea, please, Gibbs. Would you like help carrying it?"

The elevator doors opened and Abby emerged, black hair flowing behind her as she skipped over to them with her parasol in hand. "I think he's got that covered," Tony muttered, lowering his head to hide a grin as Abby quickly found Gibbs' arm and latched onto it with an adoring smile at their boss.

"Agent Mann, Officer Hasen?"

"I'll have a large coffee, thanks." Agent Mann gave him a quick smile before averting her gaze back to the file she was reading.

"As will I, Agent Gibbs." Officer Hasen smiled though it appeared his attention was focused on the unusual young woman on Gibbs' arm rather than the man himself. "Thank you."

"McGee wants coffee and anything we can find that's covered in chocolate," Abby informed Gibbs, letting him lead her away from the others. "Ducky said he's fine with the tea he's got brewing in my lab."

Gibbs gave her a slightly surprised look as they stepped into the already crowded elevator. "Ducky's helping out?"

With a nod at someone she knew at the back of the elevator, she settled in beside him, hand still resting in the crook of his arm. "He came in just after you called. Said another pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

They chose to say nothing more on the subject due to their audience, instead content to lapse into silence until they were walking out in the fresh air away from everyone else as they meandered slowly towards their favourite coffee shop.

"Does it still count as a date if we don't get to sit down?" Gibbs asked after a long pause, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He watched her as a thoughtful expression arranged her features, a light pink colour flooding her cheeks as she bit down on her bottom lip and seriously contemplated the question.

"We'll have to wait a while for the order to be ready," she pointed out eventually. "And it would make sense to sit down while we wait so we're not making it impossible for anyone else to reach the counter."

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning, something that was becoming more and more necessary in recent times. "That's very logical of you, Abby."

"Isn't it?" Sounding pleased with herself, Abby tilted her parasol to shade her pale skin from the sun's glare. "I think I'm going to tell the others about what we discussed in the Director's office," she said quietly as the coffee shop came into view. She felt his gaze on her face but stared straight ahead. "They know something's up and they're going to find out when Nick comes in for questioning... I'd rather tell them and get it over with than spend however long worrying them for no reason."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" His concern was evident in his voice. "It's personal, Abby, you don't have to share everything with them. Yeah, they'll need to know about Nick's involvement but the stuff with your father..."

One shoulder rose and fell under the black shawl she'd donned for the outing. "They're family. I trust them."

It was as simple and as complicated as that for Abby, Gibbs knew. She cared for everyone she met but let only a select few into her heart for keeps. His team were among those fortunate few and not for the first time, he found himself wondering if they knew how lucky they all were – himself included.

Slipping her hand from his arm so he could take it in his own, Gibbs said nothing as he led her into the coffee shop. He ordered their drinks first and paid for them, telling Abby to take them over to a table in the corner as he placed the order for the others waiting at NCIS and asked the cashier if they could get it ready in ten minutes. Joining her, he took the cup she slid across the table in one hand, reaching out to cover her own with the other.

"Holding hands," Abby murmured, her smile shy. "Definitely a date."

"Wish it could be longer," he said regretfully, running a finger over her knuckles.

She smiled softly, understanding shining in her eyes. "When this is all over, we can have as many long lunch dates as we want. In between cases, which probably means they'll be few and far between but that's okay. We'll make time for the important stuff." She turned her hand over beneath his. "Speaking of important stuff, I've been meaning to ask... Where did your other boat go? The one you named after Kelly?" She dropped her gaze when he sighed, not wanting to intrude but feeling the need to make sure the boat he'd most recently finished hadn't suffered the same fate as the others he'd made. "It was finished, right? But it's not in your basement anymore..."

"It's in storage," Gibbs answered softly. "Just needs to be put back together then it'll stay there."

Relief lit up her face. "You're not going to burn it?"

"I don't think I could," he admitted, turning the cup in circles with his spare hand.

"Good." She exhaled slowly and took a sip from her Caf-Pow. "I'm glad, Gibbs. It's a beautiful boat."

"I'll take you sailing in it someday." He hid a smile at her surprise behind his cup. "You don't get seasick, do you, Abby?"

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "That's something we'll have to find out." Her grin widened and her eyes danced with mirth. "Is it like being on a waterbed? My ex-boyfriend in college went through this phase where the only place he could do it was on his waterbed, which was interesting at first but got boring real quick..."

"Abby." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

She leaned forward, eyes sparkling with her red lips curved up into a devious, undeniably seductive smile when he opened his eyes to look at her. "Anything you want, Jethro." She watched his eyes darken and released a throaty chuckle, sitting back in her chair. "After the third date," she added somewhat demurely, tugging her hand free of his so she could fold both of hers in her lap.

He found himself grateful that the cashier chose that moment to call him back over to the counter, relieved to be leaving the suddenly too-warm coffee shop and heading back outside into the cool mid-afternoon breeze.

* * *

As Ziva predicted, the team were working well into the evening. Most of the team descended on the bullpen to eat the pizzas Tony had ordered and picked up but Abby remained in her lab, focused on watching the dizzying images pass by on her computer screen as it searched for a match.

She let her head rest in her hand and closed her eyes after a while, promising herself it would just be for a few minutes…

The shrill beeping startled her back into consciousness and she fought the pull of gravity to stay upright on her chair. She blinked several times, trying to clear the sleepy blur from her eyes.

Three faces stared back at her, all of them accompanied by a flashing red banner beneath their names.

All three were wanted by various agencies for crimes relating to national security.

She fumbled with the phone on her desk, clumsily hitting her speed dial. "Got three names for you, Gibbs. All of 'em listed as high risks by Homeland Security, the FBI and the CIA."

"Be right there."

They hung up together and Abby stood, stretching her arms above her head to work out the kinks in her back. She stared at the images on her screen, recognising one of them as being the man pictured with her brother in Venice. She let her fingertips rest against the keys on the keyboard, chewing her bottom lip as she wavered indecisively, torn between wanting to know everything and wanting to stay blissfully ignorant.

The decision was taken out of her hands when the bell of the elevator sounded, followed by both familiar and unfamiliar footsteps as the investigating team trouped into her lab. She turned to watch them approach, briefly wondering how so many people were going to crowd around the large screen on the wall. Gibbs moved to stand beside her, looking over her shoulder at the computer, while Tony, Ziva and McGee led the others around the computer desk to the larger screen.

"What've you got for us, Abby?" The sound of his voice so close did a little to ease the knots in her stomach and she turned her head slightly to give him a quick smile before answering.

"We've got three hits. The first," she moved the mouse pointer away from the man on the far-right, choosing instead to save him for last. "Simon Cross, former Lieutenant in the US Army. Dishonourably discharged in '97 while under investigation. Suspected of selling intel but there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute. He's on the watch-list for Homeland Security and CIA." She clicked out of his record and into the next candidates, the lone female on the screen. "Elanna Maslov, has joint citizenship for both Israel and Russia and has also applied for a greencard for the US on the basis of her recent marriage to Lieutenant Cross. Russian mother, Israeli father, both deceased…"

"Her father was a Mossad Officer," Director David supplied, a hard edge to his voice. "Elanna was, too, for a short time."

Ziva stared at the smiling brunette on the screen, her eyes narrowed speculatively. "I worked with her once," she murmured, mostly to herself. "She said she was considering leaving Mossad as she did not believe we were doing enough to protect our people. I thought she had died in the explosion that killed her father."

Director David nodded at Officer Hasen. "I want a copy of her personnel file," he instructed in Israeli. "Now."

Officer Hasen hurried out of the office, back up to the bullpen where his laptop was set up to access the Mossad database.

"Well, for a dead woman she's been keeping herself pretty busy." Abby's fingers danced over the keyboard. "Unlike her husband, who hasn't left the States for the last three months, Elanna has travelled to Israel, Russia, England and Iran in the last two months."

"Maybe she's just really into frequent flyer miles," Tony suggested, hands in his pockets. He barely flinched when Ziva hit him on the back of the head, glancing over his shoulder at Gibbs instead. "We should make it a rule, Boss, no one gets to do that but you."

"I'll take it under advisement." Gibbs let his hand brush against Abby's arm when he noticed her hand hesitated over the third hit. "Who's the other guy, Abby?"

Abby took a deep breath and brought the second man's record to the front of the screen. "Alexis Giovanni. Born in Italy, moved to the US with his mother as a kid. Several agencies have an interest in him but so far, they've not been able to make anything stick. He's a well known art dealer though Italian police have him on file as being a suspected drugs dealer and Homeland Security have him listed as being linked to several known terrorist groups. Looks like it's a financial thing; he's got no shortage of cash. Has several galleries, most in various European cities but a couple here in the US including one in DC." Her eyebrows rose and she minimised the screen, pulling up a search engine and typing quickly. A few seconds later and a black and white photograph appeared on screen, along with a series of dates and a venue address. Clearing her throat, Abby felt Gibbs put his hand on her back comfortingly. "There's a new exhibit opening at the DC gallery next week," she finished quietly. "Focusing on the photographic works of Nicholas Sciuto."

"Scuito?" Five heads whipped around to face her, with Director Vance following at a slightly slower pace.

The pressure of Gibbs' hand on her back increased. "My brother was photographed talking to Mr. Giovanni in Venice by Mossad Intelligence Officers." Abby cleared her throat and fixed her gaze on the black and white smile she knew so well.

"A coincidence," Agent Mann said kindly, breaking the silence after only a moment. "But maybe one we can use to our advantage."

Abby rewarded her with a grateful smile. "There's an official opening to the exhibit next week. I've got an invite and I'm sure Nick could get me a few more if you thought it would help."

"If he is using his art galleries as a base of operations, it would be useful to infiltrate it without arousing suspicion." Ziva glanced first at her father, then at Gibbs. "It would be a perfect opportunity to explore the premises without needing a warrant or alerting him to our investigation."

A troubled expression crossed over Gibbs face when Abby turned to look at him, waiting for his response. "How many invites do you think Nick can get?"

"I don't know. It's late now so I'll call him in the morning. I know my invitation is for me, plus one so depending on how many people you want going in, we might only need one or two more." Abby tried to meet his gaze, eyes narrowing when she realised he was avoiding it for a reason. "You don't want me to go."

"I didn't say that," Gibbs answered evasively. "But you're not a field agent, Abby. If the intel about this guy is right and they start to suspect we're not just art fanatics…" He eventually looked her in the eye. "It could get messy."

"It could, yeah, but I'm going. With or without you." She turned to face him fully, hands resting on her hips. She didn't need to glance behind to know that Tony, Ziva and McGee would be watching their exchange with unbridled interest while she suspected Agent Mann, Director David and maybe Director Vance had the good sense to appear as though they weren't paying them any undue attention. "You're talking about my brother, Gibbs. He's going to be there and so am I. That's not up for discussion."

Gibbs sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Didn't think it would be," he muttered under his breath. "Fine. You'll go with me. DiNozzo, you're with Ziva. McGee, you're with Agent Mann." He looked across the room to the two Directors. "If either of you turn up, they're bound to get suspicious."

"I agree, Agent Gibbs." Director David, however, appeared troubled as he looked over at Tony and Ziva. "I would, however, still like to take part in the operation."

"We can observe from MTAC," Director Vance offered. "There'll be eyes and ears on our people at all times." Having reassured his Mossad counterpart, Director Vance turned his attention back to the forensic scientist. "If you could send the information you have to MTAC and my office, Ms. Sciuto, it would be appreciated."

"I'll send it now." Abby stared at Gibbs for a few more seconds, clearly wanting to say something but not in front of an audience. Reluctantly, she turned back to her computer, typing in the commands that would copy the information and send it to the Director and the team in MTAC, who could forward it on to their sister agencies.

Director Vance and Director David left the lab, talking to one another in low tones, followed by Agent Mann, who spared a glance at Gibbs on her way out. McGee, Ziva and Tony lingered, none of them wanting to leave but not wanting to risk Gibbs' wrath if he thought they were trying to eavesdrop.

"Pack up and go home," Gibbs told them, not giving them a say in the matter. "Report back at seven sharp."

The tone of his voice left no room for arguments. Not even Tony felt the need to protest, nodding meekly at Abby in goodbye or sympathy, she didn't know.

"See you tomorrow, Boss, Abby."

The trio left hastily, all three throwing the pair speculative glances once they were sure Gibbs' attention was diverted back to the dark-haired woman in front of him.

Still staring at her computer screen, Abby sighed when she heard the elevator door close behind their friends. "I shouldn't have argued with you in front of the Directors. I'm sorry for that, Gibbs, but I'm not sorry for standing my ground. I'm going to the opening. I have to." She turned around when he put his hands either side of her on the desk. "He's my baby brother and if he's in trouble…" She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I've been taking care of him since he was born. I can't stop now, not even for you."

"I wouldn't want you to but it's my job to take care of you." His hands moved from their position resting on the desk to rest on her hips. "I just got you back, Abs. I can't see you get hurt again."

She smiled in spite of herself, sliding her hands up his chest. One came to rest on his shoulder, the other played with the silver hair at the back of his neck. "I'm a big girl, Gibbs. I've been taking care of myself for as long as I can remember."

His eyes flashed with some emotion that disappeared too quickly for her to identify. "I know you can look after yourself but that doesn't stop me from wanting to do it, too."

"And I love you for that." She tilted her face upwards to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I have to ask, Gibbs… Would you feel the same way if I wasn't me? If I was Agent Mann, would you be this worried about my safety?" He paused for a long moment, perhaps too long in Abby's eyes. She sighed deeply and looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. "That's what I thought."

Gibbs touched her cheek, turning her face back towards him. His finger stroked along her cheekbone before his hand curled around the curve of her face, holding it in place as he moved slowly, stopping only when his lips hovered a hairs breadth from hers. "I wouldn't worry about anyone the way I worry about you, Abby. I haven't... Not since Shannon and Kelly..." He bridged the gap between them, gently pressing his mouth against hers for the briefest of moments. "I've lost people I love before, Abs. The thought of losing someone else... Losing _you_..."

She felt him shudder and her heart ached in response. When he drew back, she followed, pressing her lips against his. She teased his lips, her tongue sweeping into his mouth when he opened it for her, duelling furiously with his for dominance of the kiss. She kissed him with everything she had, everything she felt, pouring her heart and soul into it, her heart lifting when she felt him return her ardour just as fiercely.

He pressed her against her desk, the edge of which dug painfully into her back but she didn't complain; the thought didn't even cross her mind. She wound her arms further around his neck and stood on her toes, using the leverage to push back. One of her hands fisted in his hair, holding him in place so she could devour his mouth with hers. Gibbs retaliated, fisting one hand in her hair while the other pressed against her back between her shoulder blades, aiding her attempts at pushing against him while he pushed against her.

They were both left breathing heavily, clinging to one another as much for support as for comfort.

"Forget date three," Abby breathed against his lips, raking her fingernails over the nape of his neck. "Take me home, Gibbs."

His eyes searched hers, his breath ragged as he scoured her face for any sign of uncertainty, of doubt. Finding none, he swallowed hard. He nodded, wordless, and stepped back to allow her to switch off her machines, his darkened eyes following every move she made, counting down the minutes until they were safely ensconced within the four walls of his home.

* * *

The drive from NCIS Headquarters to Gibbs' house had ever taken so long. Abby sat beside him in the car, drumming her fingers against the skin of her leg, bare where her socks ended and her short skirt was yet to begin. The rhythm she drummed matched the beat of her heart, steady and unrelenting. It took all of her willpower not to lean across and place her hand on his thigh, to tell him to pull over so she could kiss him and satisfy the hunger growing inside.

When Gibbs pulled up on his drive, Abby barely waited until the car was stopped before opening her door, stepping out as gracefully as her tall boots and short skirt would let her. Gibbs met her at the front door, his blue eyes glinting in the streetlamps as he stared at her for a moment before turning away to unlock and open the entrance to his home.

The second they were both inside, the door was slammed shut and she found herself with her back pressed against it, unsure whether she'd pulled him to her or been pushed against it by his body before she'd had the chance. She felt his arms around her, lifting her even as their mouths met hungrily and wound her legs around his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him as close as possible.

She moved her hands from his neck after a few moments, her blood humming in her veins. Blindly, she reached for the buttons of his shirt, certain she'd popped more than a few off in her desperate attempts at getting them undone, needing to feel the heat of him against her without the confines of their clothes.

His own hands weren't idle, doing their best to undo the buttons of the white shirt she wore whilst still supporting her, holding her up against the door. His fingers brushed the swell of her breasts and he swallowed her gasp and while he was tempted to see if he could evoke the same response by repeating the gesture, Gibbs found himself forcing his hands to move, undoing the rest of the buttons so her shirt hung open and the lacy white bra she wore was revealed.

He pulled his mouth from hers to study her, the reactions of his body spurned on by the sight of her pressed against his door, lips swollen from his, make up slightly smeared as her chest heaved, her nipples pressing against the cup of her bra as her shirt hung open as if framing her, bearing her to his hungry gaze.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, half growling the words as his lips swiftly reclaimed hers. "So beautiful," he panted between kisses, hands wrapped around her waist, fingers alternately stroking and gripping the smooth skin bared to him.

His lips moved from hers, traversing along her jaw, down her throat. She let her head rest back against the door, gasping when he bit the spot where her neck and shoulders met, gasping when his lips moved soothing against the tender area.

"Gibbs... Jethro..." Her voice, throatier than normal, barely broke through the haze cast over his mind. "Please..."

He drew back, blue eyes dark to a degree she'd never seen before. Abby swallowed compulsively, her hands tightening on his shoulders.

"Upstairs," she whispered, green eyes sparkling luminously in the dim streetlight sneaking into the hallway from the world beyond. "I want to be upstairs. In your bed."

She wanted to replace the memories he had of the other women who'd come before her, to join their ranks but also mark his room as being her territory now and hers alone.

He didn't question her though he did wonder for a split second what was wrong with where they were. Then he looked at her, _really_ looked at her, and his heart stopped.

Abby. She was _Abby_, and she was in his home, in his heart, and he knew there was nothing he could deny her.

They kissed as they made their way upstairs, shedding various items of clothing along the way, stopping to explore the newly revealed skin with hands and mouths, acquainting themselves with the taste and touch, committing it to memory to never be forgotten.

Abby almost cried in relief when she opened her eyes and recognised her surroundings as being his bed room. She felt the soft give of the mattress as he pushed her down on to it and moved as quickly as she could to the centre of the bed, eager to feel his body nestled against her own.

She didn't have to wait too long; Gibbs took a moment to survey her, chest heaving with his breaths as he studied her from head to toe. He took in her tousled hair, wild and free around her face, the pale skin of her body completely bared to him for the first time almost gleaming in the moonlight streaming through the open curtains. While he took his fill of her, Abby returned the favour and studied the defined chest she'd felt but never seen, cataloguing the scars marring his skin in the back of her mind, maybe to ask about later but maybe not.

Eventually she reached out a hand to him, green locking with blue as her eyes pleaded with him. He took her hand, letting her lead him down onto the bed and knelt with his knees cushioned against the blankets so he could kiss her again, slowly exploring her mouth with his tongue in a promise of what was to come.

Gibbs eased her back, fingers and lips leaving trails over her skin as he explored every inch of her body and claimed it as his own, erasing any and all trace of those who'd gone before. He kissed every tattoo revealed to him, tenderly tracing the lines with both fingertips and tongue, memorising the patterns etched in ebony against ivory skin.

Only when her body shifted restlessly beneath his ministrations did he make the journey back up, pressing his lips against the tattoo on her stomach on his way. He let his weight rest on his legs and one arm, gently turning her head with the other hand so he had full access to the healing skin of her neck, kissing the area devoid of her once beloved tattoo with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes.

Loving him for the attention he bestowed upon her but impatient for more, Abby moved her hands to his shoulders, trailing her nails down his back. She shifted beneath him, wrapping her legs around him and using the leverage it gave her to pull his hips down to hers as she arched upwards.

Gibbs lifted his head, amusement evident in his eyes as he gazed down at her. One eyebrow rose in question and in answer she tightened her legs around him and dug her fingernails painfully into his shoulders. He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, savouring the moment for as long as he dared before giving into her demands to finish what they'd started.

A groan was dragged from her lips, an answering sigh escaping him. Their bodies joined, they moved together, hands caressing the skin that was within reach, at times teasing and at times desperate. Sensitive areas that elicited sighs and groans were committed to memory for future use as they continued their ascent.

Abby opened her eyes when she felt him tense above her, her fingers sliding over his sweat-slickened skin as she clung to him with a strength that surprised even her. She found him staring down at her, the love in his eyes for once unhidden and clear for all to see. She touched his cheek with one hand, smiling when he turned into the touch to press a kiss against her palm.

Maintaining eye contact, they began to move again. Gibbs fumbled for her hands, lifting her arms above her head and pinning them to the bed, lacing his fingers with his. He watched her eyes glitter in the dim light, her swollen lips parting as she gasped. He felt the first tremors begin within her and swooped down to claim her mouth, stealing her breath and swallowing the cry that escaped her as her body shuddered beneath and around his. His own released followed hers and he broke the kiss to bury his face in the crook of her neck, tasting the saltiness of her skin as he bit her neck hard enough to be felt but not so much as to break the skin.

His arms trembled, struggling to support his weight in his body's weakened state. Abby wound her arms around him and drew him down into her embrace, encouraging him to lie against her, his head coming to rest against the swell of her chest as he listened to her heartbeat and tried to catch his breath.

After several, long moments, Gibbs eased himself off her and rolled to the side, an arm circling her shoulders as she followed, throwing one leg over his as she curled up against him. Abby let her hand rest against his chest, fingers toying with the light smattering of hair on his chest as she sighed contentedly and pressed a kiss to his heart.

"Love you, Gibbs," she mumbled sleepily, only half-aware of him shifting to pull the top blanket of his bed over their rapidly cooling bodies.

Gibbs pressed a kiss to the top of her head, settling back against the pillows. "Love you, too, Abs." Her even breathing told him she was already sleeping and he promised himself he'd tell her again in the morning, letting his own eyes slide shut.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window, making him wish he'd taken the time to close the curtains the night before. A low-pitched chuckle close to his ear reminded him exactly why he hadn't bothered and he opened one eye to see the lips he'd been dreaming about curved up in a knowing smile.

"Morning." Abby smiled and shifted, a curtain of black hair falling over his face momentarily as she rose up above him and straddled his waist. He arched an eyebrow, noting that at some point during the night she'd picked up one of his t-shirts and lifted his hands to her hips, his thumbs tracing circles through the thin cotton. She laughed softly and leaned down to brush her lips teasingly against his, her green eyes dancing mischievously when she pulled away just as he started to respond. "My turn now, Gibbs." She let her hands rest against his chest, digging her fingernails in just slightly, her voice a low purr. "Just lie back and enjoy."

His hands itched to do more than rest idly on her cloth-covered skin but every attempt he made at moving them was met with a warning glance. Abby lowered her mouth to his once more, her lips blazing a trail from his mouth, down his throat, nibbling and soothing, tasting and kissing a path down to his chest.

She lavished equal attention on his nipples, smiling against his skin when he unsuccessfully tried to bite back a groan. She felt his hands move to her hair as she shifted lower, the t-shirt she wore rising with the act but he made no move to touch her other than to run his fingers gently through her tangled locks.

"Abs..." He hissed her name through clenched teeth, screwing his eyes shut at the sensations she evoked in him. One hand moved from her hair to clench in the tangled sheets at his side, his head pressed against the pillow.

Another throaty chuckle escaped her as she rose once more, gazing down at him with luminous eyes when he opened his own eyes to look at her. A slow, seductive smile curved up her lips as her hands moved to the hem of her t-shirt, lifting it inch by inch, revealing the skin he'd memorised the night before at a torturously measured pace.

"See somethin' you like, Gibbs?" Her smirk widened at the low growl that rumbled in his throat. "Y'know," she stopped with her arms crossed over her chest, the t-shirt only just covering her chest. "I can't decide if I should call you Gibbs or Jethro. Gibbs is my boss, sure, but he's also my silver-haired fox, my master... Jethro's a guy I don't really know yet..."

"Abs." Gibbs' hands gripped her bare waist, fingers tightening almost enough to leave bruises as his hips shifted beneath her. "I don't care what you call me."

She laughed, a full laugh full of warmth and amusement that affected him far more than it should. The smile she gave him was a typically flirtatious Abby-smile and he knew he was going to have a problem the next time she gave him that particular look in her lab. "Patience is a virtue..."

He growled again in response and she wiggled her hips deviously, arms rising to lift the t-shirt over her head, finally baring her body to his hungry gaze.

The t-shirt was discarded as the blue of his eyes darkened further, her hands returning to his chest as she pressed her lower body against his. She leaned in to capture his lips, tongue plundering his mouth eagerly as their bodies were joined once more.

Conversation went out of the window, the morning's silence punctuated with signs and moans and unintelligible whispers. Gibbs found his world centred around Abby; nothing else and no one existed beyond the walls of his bedroom, beyond the warmth of her embrace and the love shining in her eyes as she watched him from above. He traced the curve of her spine with his fingers, guiding her movements with a gentle touch.

When she eventually collapsed on top of him, both breathing heavily, Gibbs wound his arms around her, cradling her against him when she would have moved away. He pressed a palm against her back, tilting his head down when she craned her neck to look at him.

"In case you missed it last night," he murmured, using his spare hand to stroke her cheek tenderly. "I love you, Abs."

Her answering smile was worth any doubts he might have had about saying it too soon, as was the lingering kiss she bestowed on him in response. Lowering her head back to his shoulder when the kiss came to a natural end, Abby cuddled in him, content to stay there in his arms until the alarm went off and duty called once again.

* * *

The field agents were called into a conference with the two Directors and representatives from several other agencies to discuss their findings and plan their next moves. Abby remained in her lab, trying to concentrate on cataloguing the remaining evidence brought over from Israel.

Her focus wavered between recalling moments from the night before and worrying about her brother, who'd yet to return her phone calls. The first three times she hadn't worried; he was a photographer, a temperamental artist if ever there was one. She'd seen him throw his cell phone against the wall before when it'd interrupted what he'd thought was going to be the perfect shot. It was only when no one answered the home phone in New Orleans that a knot formed in her stomach; if Nick wasn't at home, Amanda Layton, her sister's full-time companion, should have.

Straightening her back, Abby reached for the phone again, pressing last number dialled with a gloved finger. The phone rang out five times before the answering machine switched on, her brother's low drawl filling her ear once more.

"It's me again. Could one of you please give me a call as soon as you get this? I'm really starting to freak out, guys!" She hung up with a frustrated sigh, replacing the cradle with more force than was strictly necessary.

"Problems, my dear?" Doctor Donald Mallard walked up to her, a question on his face. "Anything I can help you with?"

Abby gave him a quick, pleased smile, glad of the unexpected company. "Not unless you have a private line for my brother that I don't know about."

Ducky shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I do, however, have a spare pair of hands if there is anything I can do to help. I am completely at your disposal."

"Ooh, nice." She grinned and swung an arm around his shoulders. "No company at the morgue this morning?"

"I had one customer this morning but his appointment ended precisely one hour ago." He let her lead him to the bench, still scattered with bag upon bag of evidence. "You should consider asking for an assistant, my dear."

She gave him a look of horror. "After the last one? I'll pass."

A chuckle escaped him as he began to rummage through the clear bags. "Three years and countless applications to be your assistant have done little to erase the damage done by Mr. Sterling, I see."

"Not even three years of therapy could make me forget that," Abby muttered with an over-exaggerated shudder. "So, what do you feel like doing? I've got some unidentified substances to trace, always a favourite. Two sets of as of yet unidentified dried saliva lifted from unwashed cups taken from our gang's hideout – need to find out if there's anything particularly remarkable about them so I have a better chance at tracking them down. Or there's some old fashioned computer hacking if you're feeling technically minded today..."

Ducky grimaced and picked up the evidence bags containing the used cups she'd mentioned. "I believe this is more suited to my particular area of expertise. May I use your equipment or shall I return to the morgue?"

"My equipment is your equipment." She motioned to her lab with a hand, moving back to her computer with a sigh. "A little company and conversation might help me concentrate on the case. And keep from thinking up ways of getting revenge on my brother."

"If you're open to conversation, might I ask a question?" He settled himself across the lab from her and donned a pair of latex gloves.

Abby smiled and watched the monitor as her computer scanned the hard-drive of the laptop Mossad had given her. "Ask away, Duck-man."

There was a moment of silence as they both settled into their work. "It hasn't escaped my notice that you have yet to ask for assistance in moving your belongings back to your apartment."

"That's a statement, Ducky," she replied after a moment of silence. "Not a question. I'm not sure what you expect me to say."

"I don't wish to pry, Abby, nor do I particularly want the details..." He smiled a little at the noise of relief she made. "But you know I care about you, my dear, and Jethro is a good friend..."

"And you wouldn't be you if you didn't worry about one of us hurting the other." Abby spoke softly, affection in her voice. "So how can I assure you that my interest in our fearless leader is genuine?"

It was Ducky's turn to chuckle and shake his head in amusement. "I've known you for a long time, my dear. I have no doubt that your interests, as you put it, are entirely real. As are Jethro's. My concern is not whether or not you have feelings for one another but feelings alone aren't always enough to make a relationship work. Jethro isn't like the men you've dated before..."

"I wouldn't want him to be. That's kind of the point." Abby twisted on her stool, staring at the back of Ducky's head, willing him to turn around and smiling when he did. "I'm not like the women he's dated – or married – before, either. But I love him and for some reason, he loves me. I don't know how long we're going to be together but I plan on enjoying every moment we've got till it ends."

"That is my concern, my dear." Ducky leaned forward slightly, hands resting on his knees as he gazed at her. "Not that it's going to end because I honestly believe you have a strong chance at succeeding where all three of his ex-wives failed. You're both too stubborn to give up, which is what I think Jethro needs in a partner. It concerns me that you've entered into this relationship in a vulnerable state of mind. For some reason I cannot fathom, you don't believe you're good enough for him – just as he doubts he's good enough for you. You went through a traumatic ordeal, Abby. I would hate for your relationship to be tarnished because you both entered into it as a way of avoiding having to deal with the consequences of what you went through."

Abby blinked in surprise, her eyebrows lifting. "I didn't enter into this as a way of ignoring what happened to me. My feelings for Gibbs were there a long time before Steven Laffiter decided to make me his own little experiment."

"I know that, Abby, but you can't tell me you've dealt with the issues you have as a result of your abduction. I don't want you to hide behind your relationship with Jethro and avoid dealing with those issues." Ducky motioned to her with a hand, his eyes soft. "Have you been out of Jethro's reach since it happened, my dear? Have you considered meeting friends and going out to a bar or a club? I've also noticed you have yet to let your neck be shown since the removal of your tattoo. You told Mr. Laffiter your tattoos did not define you but your actions belay that."

A hand rose to touch her neck, hidden once more by loose hair and a silk neck scarf. She fingered the material around her throat, toying it as she acknowledged his concern. "Gibbs is the one who doesn't want me to go too far," she said eventually. "Not that I've put up much of an argument," she admitted quietly.

"I know, and that's something Jethro needs to deal with." Ducky got up and crossed the lab, setting a hand on her slumped shoulder. "Don't let him win, Abby. You stood up to him when he was alive, you can stand up to him now he's dead."

Tears shimmered in her eyes. "It's hard, Ducky. I look in the mirror and I expect it to be there and it's not and every time I do, it makes me remember being in that damn house."

"You are no longer his prisoner, Abigail." He squeezed her shoulders. "Every time you look in that mirror, you tell yourself that. Remind yourself that you are stronger than he anticipated; you survived."

She gave him a watery smile, wiping the moisture from her cheek. "You think I should move back into my apartment?"

"Not necessarily." He smiled down at her with a father's affection – and a father's concern. "The evolution of your relationship was inevitable. You're both adults, Abby, and while I don't wish to know the details of your relationship, I am aware that it has progressed at quite an accelerated rate. Just... don't change, Abigail. Jethro loves you for who you are, as do the rest of us."

Abby stood and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Ducky."

He patted her back, holding her securely for several minutes until she'd composed herself enough to get back to work. Ducky walked back to his desk slowly, glancing at her over his shoulder when he heard a slight rustling sound.

As he watched, she undid the neck scarf and set it to the side, picking up two hair bands as she did so. She parted her hair and created two low pony tails, tying them as neatly as she could without either a brush or a mirror to guide her.

* * *

The phone rang twice before she answered and, when she did, she sounded distracted – almost annoyed at the interruption.

"Call you at a bad time, sis?" Nick Sciuto twirled the cord of the phone between his fingers, a lopsided grin arranging his lips as he glanced at the two women sitting opposite him.

_"Nick! Where the hell have you been? I've been calling and calling and calling..."_

He held the phone away from him for a moment, waiting till she stopped berating him before putting back against his ear. "Sorry, Abs. Got caught up in work – you know how it is. You still gonna be at the showing on Saturday?"

_"Of course!"_ She laughed, almost nervously, he thought. _"As if I'd miss it! That's what I was calling about. I was wondering if I could get a few more invites for some friends of mine."_

"You have friends interesting in real art?" Nick spoke teasingly, his eyebrows rising. "I thought tattoos were the extent of their interest in anything creative... That and the strange so-called music you love."

_"Hey, not all of my friends are like that. Besides, you never know where inspiration for the next tattoo will come from... Maybe one of your weird photos will inspire some new, fantastic bit of body art."_

"Each to their own, I guess." Nick closed his eyes against the looks he was getting. "It's been too long, Abs. When was the last time we saw each other?"

_"When was the last time you decided to settle in one place and not go gallivanting around the world in the never-ending search for inspiration?"_ His sister's voice softened. _"It has been a while, though. It'll be good to see you again, Nicky."_

"Geez, Abs, don't call me that. Makes me feel like a kid again."

_"You _are_ a kid, Nicky. You're always gonna be my kid brother, therefore always a kid to me. And you are the baby of the family, hon. Nothin's gonna change that unless you invent a time-machine and somehow get Gloria to have you first."_

"If that was possible, I'd consider it." Nick opened his eyes at the sound of a chair shifting and his amusement died. "So you'll be there on Saturday, and you want a few extra invites waiting at the door?"

_"Two, please. Gotta show my little brother off while he's in town, right?"_

His face flooded with heat, either from embarrassment or shame, Nick couldn't tell. "I'll see it's taken care of, Abs. I've gotta go, things to do..."

_"I'll see you soon, Nick. Love you."_

A lump rose in his throat and he closed his eyes again. "Love you, too, Abby. See you." Nick disconnected the phone with a heavy heart, setting the receiver down in its cradle with a heavy sigh. He opened his eyes and met those of the man standing between his lover and his sister, the gun in his hand glinting in the overhead lights. "She'll be there on Saturday."

Alexis Giovanni grinned, using the barrel of his gun to stroke the cheek of Sophie Sciuto as the frightened young woman whimpered, unable to hear what her brother had said but knowing from the look on his face that whatever it was, was bad. "The boss will be very pleased to hear that," Giovanni responded, his eyes gleaming with delight.

"Are you going to tell us who your boss is now?" Nick glared at him, his hands moving rapidly as he signed to his sister, telling her not to be afraid even as fear gnawed at his own gut – fear for himself, for the women sitting opposite him and for the woman he'd helped set up for something. "And why he's so interested in my family?"

Giovanni found something about his question funny as he tipped his head back and laughed, making Amanda, the pretty blond sitting next to his sister, flinch. "You will be told when he decides it is time. Until then, you should make yourself comfortable, Mr. Sciuto. Your adoring public awaits."

Nick kicked his bound feet, glaring at the gun pointing at the back of his sister's head. He'd never felt so helpless before, nor so ashamed. He knew he was responsible for whatever happened, to Sophie, Amanda and Abby. He'd been the one to connect with Alexis Giovanni, to disclose so much information about the women in his life. He'd welcomed the man into his home, thinking that maybe, just maybe, his time to be in the spotlight had come.

Maybe it had, he mused, swallowing hard, but for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

They had just over two days to plan what they were going to do, process the rest of the Mossad evidence and find out as much as they could about the potential targets they needed to keep an eye out for at the gallery's opening. Everyone was kept busy, with even the Director's mucking in, assisting their field agents wherever they could.

By all rights, they should have all been exhausted by Friday night, the night before the big op was due to happen, but they were all unable to sleep, too revved up for various reasons.

Ziva could never sleep the night before an operation, anticipation drumming in her blood, making her twitchy if she tried to stay still. Tony, too, was on edge, wanting to it to start, wanting to get into the thick of the action. The partners decided to retire to the NCIS gym, sparring with one another until they were too exhausted to do anything but catch a few hours sleep wherever they could find a flat surface – usually behind their desks or in Abby's lab if one of them was able to get to the futon she kept in her office before McGee or the scientist herself.

The pair slunk back to the bullpen after showering and settled at their desks, both aching but both happier for it.

"Tomorrow will be fine," Ziva murmured, mostly to herself as she settled in her chair and propped her feet up on her desk.

"Never said it wouldn't, Ziva." Tony sat in his own chair, glancing around the nearly deserted bullpen before he got himself comfortable for the night. "Your Dad gone back to his hotel?"

Ziva closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "He and Director Vance had some business to discuss. They went out to dinner at his hotel, yes."

"Aww, it's cute. Dad's all worried about you."

She snorted indelicately. "My father has not worried about me since I was a child. He knows I am able to take care of myself."

"That's because he taught you well." There was a faintly disapproving note in his voice and while he settled into his chair to sleep, Ziva sat up straight and stared at him.

"What are you implying, Tony?" She demanded sharply.

Tony opened one eye, surprised at the defensive tone. "I'm not implying anything, Ziva. I just think maybe your Dad should've let you had more of a childhood instead of putting pressure on you to follow in his footsteps."

"He did no such thing. I chose to join Mossad, Tony. My father did not force me." It wasn't the indignation that made him sit upright; it was the hurt he could detect beneath it. "He was a good father."

"A good father who missed his daughter's dance recitals." His voice was sympathetic but his eyes blazed with anger, taking her aback. "A father who couldn't or wouldn't make time for her until she joined his precious agency and worked her fingers to the bone, nearly killing herself in the process I'm guessing, to become one their best assets. You shouldn't have had to do that, Ziva. A father's love is supposed to be unconditional, not based on what he can get out of it."

Ziva stared at him, her brow furrowed. "You are angry... for me? Your father was not there for you yet you are angry at mine because you feel he treated me badly? My father did not disown me, Tony, nor did he refuse to acknowledge my existence because I disappointed him."

"Because you've never disappointed him, Ziva. You put your life on the line so you don't disappoint him and he doesn't have a problem with that. _That's_ what annoys me and makes me angry. He has no idea what a wonderful woman you are, just that you're damn good at your job and even then he'd take credit for it if you asked." Tony cut himself off, cursing inwardly. He crossed his arms over his chest and propped his feet up on the desk, leaning back and closing his eyes to signal the conversation was over. "Just saying you deserve better, that's all. Gotta get some beauty sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

She remained sitting for a long time, unable to tear her gaze from the obscured view she had of him, wondering why he cared so much for her missing childhood – and why it mattered so much to her that he did.

* * *

Also unable to sleep, Abby lay awake staring at the ceiling of the room that was quickly becoming hers as much as the man lying beside her. She eased out from under his arm, hesitating at the change in his breathing. She exhaled slowly when he remained asleep, sliding out from under the blankets and up from the bed as carefully as she could.

The t-shirt she'd taken to using as a nightshirt lay where she'd discarded it – with his help – on the floor and she put it on quickly, shivering in the cool night air. Careful to make as little sound as possible, Abby crept out of the room and down the stairs, heading straight to the basement where she knew Gibbs found the most solace.

For the first time since moving into his house, Abby found herself wishing for her coffin. There was nothing more comforting to her than secluding herself in the dark box, confident that no one could hurt her when she was confined within the custom made box. It was the one possession she treasured that hadn't made it to Gibbs' home and she wondered if it'd be welcome if she – they – decided against her moving back to her apartment.

The light of the basement stung her eyes when she first turned it on but she adjusted quickly and made her way down the steps, watching where she put her bare feet.

For a moment she contemplated working on his boat, getting her sanding block – the one he'd made especially for her – but talked herself out of it; if she sanded the existing planks anymore than she had already, they'd be non-existent and just need replacing. Instead, she settled for getting the blanket he kept folded over a shelf in the corner of the room, wrapping it around her as she sat down at the stool next to the bench where he kept his tools.

She didn't know why she couldn't sleep; she'd tried telling herself she was just excited about seeing her brother and worried about the danger he might be in but telling herself that everything was going to be okay didn't help her follow Gibbs into a peaceful slumber. She thought about what Ducky had said to her in her lab a few days before and wondered if that was why she couldn't sleep, if she was worried there was some truth in his words and that her relationship with Gibbs would be doomed practically from the start if she didn't start facing her fears and living her own life again.

It wasn't that she was letting her fear hold her back, Abby reasoned with a sigh. She was enjoying spending time with Gibbs outside of work, enjoying the perks and privileges that came with any new relationship just as any woman in love would. The thought of going out with her friends did appeal but, at the moment, the thought of spending time alone with Gibbs appealed more. She loved Ducky for his concern but at the same time she wished he'd kept his thoughts to himself for just a little bit longer, letting her enjoy the first few weeks of passion-fuelled bliss without the need for overanalysing it.

She'd started wearing her hair in pony tails without the need for scarves to hide the barely-there scar and had been surprised at the amount of people who'd commented that they'd missed her look. She wondered if there was anything else about her they missed, if she'd changed in some other way she hadn't realised or let herself consider.

"Abby?"

She tilted her head in the direction of the stairs but made no other move to acknowledge him. She burrowed further into the blanket wrapped around her, seeking the comfort the soft material could offer.

"Hey." Gibbs took the steps two at a time, all traces of sleepiness leaving his face when he caught his first glimpse of her. "You okay?"

"Can't sleep." She forced a smile, letting it fall when she saw he didn't buy it. "Do you think we're doing this wrong?"

"Doing what wrong, Abs?" He stood behind her and leaned against the bench, massaging her shoulders through the blankets. "Am I missing something?"

Unable to help herself, she let a moan to escape at the feel of the tension giving under the pressure of his fingertips. "Just something Ducky said. He's worried I'm not dealing with things right, that it's going to make our relationship harder because we started it so soon after everything with Laffiter." She tilted her head to let him get better access, shrugging the blanket down passed her shoulders. "Thinks you need to deal with it, too."

"Me?" He paused for a split-second. "I wasn't the one being held against my will by a guy with a grudge."

"No," she agreed quietly. "But you're the one who feels like you should've been there to protect me, like you should've been able to stop it from happening. You're the one who doesn't want me out of reach in case something bad happens again." She sighed when his hands dropped from her shoulders, knowing she'd hit a nerve. "You can't spend the rest of your life keeping tabs on me, Gibbs. You're gonna have a case that takes you away from DC and I'll be waiting for you to get back, helping solve it from afar."

His jaw was clenched when she glanced at him over her shoulder. "We'll deal with it when it happens. Ducky has no right to put more pressure on you, Abby. I'll have a talk with him tomorrow..."

"No, don't." Turning on the stool, Abby pulled the blanket around her shoulders once more, a chill assaulting her that had nothing to do with the temperature in the basement and everything to do with the thought of coming between the two old friends. "He's right, Gibbs. We do have to deal with what happened so we can get over it and move on – together. I was thinking maybe you could teach me how to use a gun properly. I know I can use one in the lab but hitting a moving target's a whole other story. And maybe I could take self-defence lessons or something." She stared up at him with big eyes. "I don't want you to have to stop doing the things you like because you're worried about me. I don't want you to feel like you've gotta have me around all the time because I'm some kind of liability. You'll get sick of me, Gibbs, you'll want time to yourself or to go see Ducky or play poker with your friends and then what'll happen?" She stood when he looked like he was about to protest. "I'm going to feel like going out with my friends eventually and as much as you tolerate my music at work, I'm so not going to drag you to a club or concert you're going to hate to make me happy. It'll make both of us feel better if I know how to take care of myself."

"I'll teach you how to use a gun but I don't want you carrying a weapon if it can be avoid." He put a finger to her lips when she frowned. "Too many people die after having their own weapons used against them, Abby. You're not going to be one of those statistics." A heavy sigh escaped him. "Which is why you'll start taking self-defence classes with me and the others. Ziva can teach you a lot, and I'm sure DiNozzo and McGee won't want to miss the opportunity to lend a hand as long as they don't get too grabby."

Abby beamed at him, relief showing on her face. "They wouldn't dare. They value their lives too much." She wound her arms around his neck, blanket falling to the floor as its comfort was abandoned in favour of the warmth she found in Gibbs' arms. "When can I have my first lesson?"

"As soon as we've got time," he promised, running his hands over her cloth-covered curves when he felt her shiver. He let his head rest atop of hers and held her close, inhaling the scent of her and the lingering smell of sawdust that was always present in his basement, two of the things that offered him the most comfort. "Time to get some sleep, Abs."

To his relief, she didn't protest, letting him lead her from the basement upstairs to their room. He settled in beside her, still dressed in his sweat pants and t-shirt and wrapped his arms around her, partly to help keep her warm and partly to ensure she couldn't sneak away from him to brood without him knowing. After a matter of minutes, she was asleep against him, curled up as was her way but sleep was a long time in coming for Gibbs, who couldn't shake the feeling that had woken him up in the first place.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Everything was checked and double-checked. They couldn't enter the art gallery before the opening of the exhibit but McGee had acquired the blue prints and they'd been studied and discussed by Gibbs' team and Agent Mann. All exits were memorised and a plan of action was put into place in case the worst happened.

Abby chose not to be part of the discussion, trusting Gibbs and the others to do their jobs, leaving her to check the eyes and ears the Directors had requested were fully functioning prior to being fitted to each member of the undercover party – herself included.

Her excitement at being reunited with her brother was almost entirely replaced by a sense of dread that he could be in danger. Instead of being pleased as she dressed up in the striking dark-green dress she'd chosen for the occasion, she found herself reluctantly adjusting the satin halter-neck straps as she surveyed herself in the mirror of the bathrooms at NCIS headquarters.

"Are you okay, Abby?" It was Hollis Mann who asked, meeting her eyes in the mirror as she helped zip up the back of Ziva's form-fitting midnight-blue gown. "It's not too late to change your mind..."

"It is. I promised Nick I'd be there." She smiled weakly. "I've never broken a promise to him before."

Hollis smiled as she turned to let Ziva zip up the back of her own evening dress, dark red in colour. "You must be close to him. I don't have any siblings."

"I don't know whether you're lucky or not," Abby murmured, soothing down her dress before turning her attention to her hair. "I love them, Nick and Sophie, but they're hard work sometimes."

"You practically raised them," Ziva pointed out, joining the conversation. "You have the love of a sister and the worry of a parent."

"Sounds tough," Hollis chimed in. She settled at the counter next to Abby and reached for the make-up bag between them. "We won't let anyone hurt him, Abby."

Abby tried to smile but failed, her eyes betraying her anxiety as she clipped up most of her previously curled hair atop of her head. "Thank you."

While she looked down to find her lipstick, Hollis and Ziva exchanged concerned glances in the mirror's reflective surface.

"You have not mentioned your brother much before," Ziva continued the conversation, fixing a smile on her face as she ran a hand through her loose curls. "I look forward to meeting him."

Abby smirked. "He'll be thrilled to meet both of you, I'm sure. Nick can be a bit of a lady's man when he puts his mind to it."

"Surely he can be no worse than DiNozzo." Ziva arched an eyebrow when Abby just laughed. "Really?"

"He's a photographer," Abby pointed out, some of her nerves dissipating at the casual conversation. "An artist is always in search of his muse. That's one of his favourite chat up lines."

Hollis rolled her eyes as she applied a shiny lip gloss. "Why do men think women will fall for such corny lines? Do they really think we're so starved for compliments that anything will work?"

"They are men," Ziva shrugged. "They do not understand that it takes more than flattery to capture a woman's interest."

"It's not our interest they're trying to get." Abby gave her companions a knowing look. "We should take bets on how many guys will try to give you their numbers tonight."

"Their numbers?" Hollis looked surprised. "It's an art showing, not a nightclub."

Ziva frowned. "Why would they give us their numbers and not you?"

Her freshly painted lips curved up in a smile as her eyes, made even greener by her dress, glittered. "First, there's no sleazier crowd than a bunch of bored art critics who only go to these things for the free drinks and pretty girls. Second, who's gonna be brave – or stupid - enough to give me their number with Gibbs scowling at them?"

"He is very protective of you," Ziva agreed with a knowing smile. "More so recently."

A slight blush coloured her cheeks and Abby shrugged her bare shoulders. "After what happened with Laffiter, you can't really blame him."

"I heard about that," Hollis said quietly. "McGee said Jethro killed the guy."

"Just in time, too," Ziva confirmed with a nod. "Though I was referring to the change in your relationship more than the incident with Laffiter, Abby."

Abby's blush deepened when she noticed both women staring at her. "What?"

"The innocent look will not work, Abby. We've all seen the way he looks at you." Ziva smirked. "And you have always been his favourite."

Fortunately for Abby, she was saved from having to think of an answer by a loud knock on the door, followed by Tony's voice. "Hey, ladies? If you could come out some time tonight, it'd be good!"

Rolling their eyes and giving themselves a last minute once over in the mirror, the three women left the sanctuary of the bathroom and went out to greet their dates for the evening.

* * *

Though they arrived well before the invitation specified, the gallery was already swarming with people by the time they got there. They were welcomed warmly by the suit-clad ushers on the doors and shown inside with a crowd of other newcomers.

Arm in arm with Gibbs, Abby led the small group, eyes scanning the crowd anxiously for her brother. A wide smile spread across her face when she spotted him, surrounded by a half-circle of glamorous looking men and women and it took only a moment for the weight of her gaze to register and Nick Sciuto to search her out.

The dark-haired man gave her a grin as familiar as her own and excused himself quickly, crossing the room in a few long strides. He opened his arms as she flew into them, catching her easily and lifting her, twirling her in a circle before setting her back down on her feet. "Hello stranger."

"Hello yourself." Abby beamed at him, an arm wrapping around his waist as she let her head rest on his shoulder. For all he was her baby brother, he was at least five inches taller. While Abby was slender, her brother was broad and wound a muscled arm around her shoulders.

"Guys, this is my brother and man of the moment, Nick Sciuto." She glowed with pride as she gazed up him. "These are the guys. Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, Tim and Hollis."

Nick Sciuto held out a hand and smiled warmly when Gibbs took it. "Pleased to meet you all and put names to the faces at last. Abby's told me a lot about you. A whole lot. It's hard to get her to stop talking, actually."

While Tony made a sound that could be construed as agreement, Abby nudged her brother with her elbow. "Careful what you say, baby brother of mine. I'm sure your adoring public would just love some little Nicky stories to pad out their reviews of tonight's exhibit."

"Warning received and duly noted." Nick grinned, affection written all over his features. "Speaking of the exhibit, I hope you guys don't find it too dull. I know Abs probably dragged you here to keep her company."

"Not at all, we're big fans of the arts." Tony returned the grin. "I'm a big fan of little Abby stories, too, so if you have a moment to spare..." He ducked before Ziva could hit him with the hand she'd raised, darting behind Gibbs for protection. "Hey, boss, thought we discussed making that a new rule."

Gibbs smirked at him and said nothing. He instead turned his attention back to Abby and her brother. "You want to look around, Abby?"

"Definitely." She leaned on her tiptoes to brush her painted lips against her brother's cheek before stepping away from threading her arm through Gibbs'. "You go do what you have to. We'll have a look around and meet up later, okay?"

Nick gave them a slight bow. "I hope you enjoy what you see."

He was accosted almost the moment he stepped away from them, leaving Gibbs to turn to his team and give the order to spread out, keeping their eyes open for Alexis Giovanni, Simon Cross and Elanna Maslov. Securing an arm around Abby's waist, Gibbs escorted her to the first set of photographs, black and white crowds oblivious that the moment they were experiencing was caught on film forever.

They circled the exhibit, Abby admiring her brother's work while Gibbs tried to keep his mind on the job at hand and not the woman on his arm. Hearing the others speaking through the earpiece he wore helped, especially when McGee and Hollis confirmed Alexis Giovanni was in attendance.

"Abs…"

She turned to look at him, the happiness on her face dying under the intensity of his stare. "He's here, isn't he?"

"On the other side of the room. You can stay here…" Even as he spoke, Abby glanced around the room, trying to find her brother, heart pounding when she failed to spot him in the crowd. "Or you can come with me."

"Is Nick with him?" She asked quietly, knowing the question would be heard by the other members of the team. There was only a small pause, wherein Gibbs received confirmation that he was and nodded, his expression grim. Squaring her shoulders, Abby tried to push her worry aside. "Then I'm coming with you. Maybe I can get us an introduction."

With more than a little reluctance, Gibbs escorted her around the room to the place Giovanni had last been spotted. He was forced to stop when Abby came to a stand-still mid-step, her green eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at the group surrounding her brother.

Unable to see a reason for her reaction, Gibbs glanced at her in concern. "Abby…?"

"Amanda." She stared at the back of the blond haired woman standing close to her brother, her face pale. "That's Amanda." She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better view of the person standing next to Giovanni, a woman, she could tell from the dress, but someone who's face was blocked from view by her brother's form. "She wouldn't have left Sophie on her own, Gibbs, and there's no way Soph would leave the house unless she was forced."

His arm tightened around her waist and she felt his body tense. "Then let's go see what they have to say. Maybe it's something innocent, Abby. They might just want to surprise you…"

Nick moved as he spoke and he caught his first glimpse of the middle Sciuto sibling, saw the strain on her face beneath the make-up she wore and the fear lurking in the depths of her hazel eyes.

* * *

Only one member of the group they approached was genuinely pleased to see them. Alexis Giovanni moved as if to embrace Abby warmly, stopping only at the scowl he got from the man standing behind her. He held out his hand instead, a broad grin on his face.

"I'm Alexis Giovanni, proud owner of this establishment. You must be Abigail. Nick has told me so much about you."

An eyebrow arched in her brother's direction, Abby slipped her hand out of his as soon as it was polite to do so. "All good things, I hope," she answered with as bright a smile as she could manage, hands moving effortlessly as signed to her sister. _'What are you doing here, Sophie? What's going on?'_

"Of course," Giovanni smiled charmingly, his eyes briefly dropping to her rapidly moving hands. "Are you and your partner enjoying the exhibit?"

"Very much," Gibbs answered on her behalf, casting Nick a look when Abby's brother refused to meet his gaze. He, too, signed to Sophie when the young woman failed to answer her sister's question, speaking aloud as he did so. "It's good to see you again, Sophie. Abby didn't mention you would be here." _'Don't worry, Sophie, it'll be okay. Can he understand sign language?'_

_'I don't think so. He doesn't like it when we sign.'_ The answer came from Amanda, who smiled bright at Gibbs and Abby as she did so. "We wanted to surprise her. Nick mentioned it'd been a while since he'd seen both of his sister's so we thought this was an opportunity too good to pass up. I'm Amanda. Amanda Layton. I live with Sophie."

"Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs took the hand she offered him and smiled. "Abby's date." _'We know something's going on. Whatever it is, we're going to make sure you're all okay.'_

"It's a nice surprise," Abby chimed in, her cheeks beginning to ache from the falseness of her smile. She was concerned at the way Sophie refused to look at her and refused to reply, her hands clasped in front of her as though she was purposely trying to keep them still. _'Sophie, please. Let me know you're okay.'_ "I suppose I should be thanking you, Mr. Giovanni, for making this reunion possible."

Pleased at being included in the conversation and undoubtedly not-so-pleased at being unable to follow what wasn't being said aloud, Giovanni turned his full attention on Abby though he wound an arm around Sophie's waist, pulling her against him. "No thanks are necessarily and please, call me Alexis. I'm just one of the family now, aren't I, Nick?"

"Sure." Nick tugged at the collar of his shirt uncomfortably. "One of the family."

_'What's wrong with Sophie?'_ Abby glanced from her brother to Amanda, anger threatening to overtake her own fear at the look on Sophie's face as she was anchored to Giovanni's side. "It's good to know there's someone out there taking an interest in my little brother's career. How did you guys meet, anyway?"

"An artist I had dealings with introduced us when your brother was touring Europe, seeking inspiration for this exhibit," Giovanni answered smoothly. "I asked to look at his work and was impressed. He has an eye for seeing the true beauty in life, not a surprise considering the company he keeps."

_'Sophie hasn't spoken since we left New Orleans,' _Amanda signed. "You're very kind, Alexis. Nick was very lucky to meet you; you've done so much for him."

"I could use a drink," Gibbs cut in before Giovanni could reply, ignoring the glare he got for being so rude from the Italian. "Can I get you ladies anything? Abby? Sophie?" _'I'm going to talk to the others. Will you come with me, Sophie?'_

"I'll have a white wine, thanks. Why don't you take Sophie with you?" Abby gave him a grateful smile and reached out to take her sister's arm before anyone could object. "You'll help Gibbs, won't you, Soph?"_ 'Go with him, Sophie. Please.'_

Her sister nodded after a short pause, stepping away from Giovanni, who reluctantly dropped his arm from her waist but instantly replaced her by reaching out for Abby's arm, effectively trading one sister for another.

"What do you think of your brother's work, Abigail?" It was Giovanni's turn to ignore the glare Gibbs aimed at him, his hand pressing against the small of Abby's back as he gave her a polished smile. "He said you are responsible for making it possible for him to follow his dreams, for which I must thank you for."

"I've always been an admirer." Abby looked to Gibbs, giving him a small nod in response to the question in his eyes, giving him permission to whisk her sister away and leave her alone. "Even when we were kids, he was constantly taking Dad's camera and running around the yard."

"Your father encouraged him?" Giovanni's pale eyebrows rose. "Nick has not mentioned your parents much, I'm afraid."

"They died in a car accident when we were younger," Nick answered, his voice gruff. He, too, watched Gibbs and Sophie leave, his shoulders slumping a little. "Abs took care of me and Sophie after that."

Covering her surprise at having her brother acknowledge that fact was easy; trying to keep herself from slapping the man beside her when she felt his hand edge lower was a harder feat to achieve. "We're a very private family, Mr. Giovanni." She took a slight step away, grinding her teeth when he responded by following. "Losing our parents was quite difficult for us all so we don't talk about it much."

"I see. Then I am sorry for your loss." His fingers stroked the small of her back through the green satin, his attention fully focused on her. "Nick told me you work for something called NCIS. Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand what it is you do?"

Alarm bells went off in her head but Abby tried to keep the panic from showing on her face, glancing surreptitiously towards the bar in the hopes that Gibbs was on his way back. As a non-field agent, she'd foregone the eyes and ears the rest of the team had, counting on them to do the work while she hopefully kept her brother out of it. They'd all expected Gibbs to be with her all night, hadn't counted on there being more than two Sciuto siblings to keep an eye on. "I'm a forensic scientist," she answered eventually. "I process evidence."

"It must be interesting." His hand crept lower, just hovering above the curve of her behind. "Do you help catch criminals?"

"Not personally, no." She glanced at her brother, an eyebrow arched as if to ask for his help but Nick responded by clearing his throat and looking away. "I wonder what's taking so long with those drinks. If you'll excuse me, I'll see what's keeping Gibbs and Sophie..."

Giovanni's hand moved from her back to her arm swiftly, his grip almost bruising. "I'm sure they'll be here soon. Why don't you let me escort you around in place of your date? I'm sure you're eager to view the rest of Nick's work."

Unable to think of a way to refuse that wouldn't involve her knee meeting his crotch and drawing too much attention to them, Abby forced a smile and nodded her agreement. There were four Agents working the room, not including Gibbs. Surely there'd be at least one of them keeping an eye on Giovanni.

She let him guide her away reluctantly, annoyed with her brother when he remained beside Amanda, an arm wrapped around the blond woman's waist and annoyed at Amanda for not doing her job and making sure Sophie was okay.

"You do not look old enough to be the big sister Nick spoke about," Giovanni murmured, his voice too close to her ear for comfort. "From what he described, I was expecting to meet an old maid with grey hair, not a vibrant young thing like yourself."

"I'm flattered but I assure you, I'm not as young as I appear to be." 'Nor as naïve,' she added inwardly, eyes searching the faces they passed. Her heart rose when she thought she caught sight of Tony and Ziva, only to fall when the dark haired woman turned around and revealed herself to be a stranger, not a friend. "You said you were introduced to Nick by a mutual acquaintance. Can I ask what it was about his work that made you willing to go to the expense of so many exhibits?"

"His work is beautiful. He has a talent for seeing beauty in the ordinary things in life, like I said." He glanced at her and saw the scepticism on her face, a grin taking hold of his lips. "Honestly? I see an opportunity to make money from prints of your brother's photographs. They will be desired on a commercial level, by businesses and home owners alike to decorate their properties. Several pieces are a talking point and if marketed properly could easily sell a million times over."

Abby bit back a sigh, certain her brother would be disappointed to hear the Italian-American's plans for his work. She opened her mouth to say as much when a sudden movement caught her eye and she glanced across the room to see Gibbs – minus Sophie – striding towards them. A genuine smile broke out across her face when Giovanni was forced to relinquish his hold on her so Gibbs could resume his rightful place at her side. "Is Sophie okay..?"

"Getting some air with McGee," Gibbs murmured, handing her one of the glasses he held. "Did I miss anything?"

"Mr. Giovanni was just explaining why he'd go to the trouble of setting up these exhibits for Nick," she told him, cuddling into his side as his arm wound around her waist. "He thinks there's money to be made in Nick's work."

Gibbs smiled, full of charm, at their host. "Isn't it always about money?" He asked conversationally. "There's very little a man won't do for it."

Giovanni inclined his head, a glimmer of annoyance showing briefly on his face. "We are all businessmen at heart, are we not? It is in our nature to earn as much as we can so we can properly protect and care for those we love. A modern-day primal instinct, as it were."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Gibbs commented, his interest appearing to be genuine. He shifted when Abby leaned into him further, glancing down at her just in time to see the discomfort on her face when Giovanni's attention returned to her once again. "We'd hate to keep you from speaking to your potential customers, Mr. Giovanni. Maybe we can speak again later in the evening?"

Giovanni hesitated for a split second before he gave them a small nod. "Of course. I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of the exhibit." He bowed to them gallantly and left them alone.

Leaning against him, Abby let her head rest against his shoulder for an all-too-short moment before pulling herself together. "Is Sophie really okay?" She asked, pulling back to look at him. "There's something going on, Gibbs. Neither Nick or Amanda would look me in the eye."

"She's not speaking. I told McGee to take her outside for some fresh air. Maybe some distance between her and Giovanni will help." He touched her cheek softly. "You want to go check on her?"

Smiling softly, Abby nodded. "Keep an eye on Nick, will you? I think…" She bit her lip and looked nervously over her shoulder. "I think he's in trouble, Gibbs."

He leaned down to place a gentle kiss against her forehead, not caring whether or not they were seen by the other members of his team or what the Director thought at that moment in time. "We'll do everything we can to help him, Abby. I promise. Now go take care of Sophie. She needs you."

Another quick smile and she was gone, disappearing into the crowd and leaving him momentarily on his own. His solitude didn't last for long, however, as Tony and Ziva approached to discuss what their next move would be.

* * *

The cold air hit her like a wave when she stepped outside and Abby found herself wishing she'd stopped to get her coat. All thoughts of going inside to retrieve it were forgotten when she caught sight of her sister's slender form, sitting hunched over on a wall to the side of the building with McGee's jacket draped over her still shivering shoulders. The Agent himself knelt in front of her, concern etched into his face.

"Hey, McGee." Abby spoke softly as she hurried towards them, not wanting to startle the armed agent. She gave him a quick smile as she crouched down beside him opposite her sister as best as she could in the dress she wore. _'Hi Sophie.'_

Her sister's hands twitched in her lap as though she was going to respond but Sophie stopped herself, fingernails digging into the flesh of her palms.

_'Sophie, please talk to me. You're safe now. McGee's here and he's armed. No one's gonna hurt you, I promise.'_

After what felt like an hour but in reality was only a few minutes, Sophie's hands began to move hesitantly. _'He said he'd kill us if we said anything. He said he'd kill you.'_

_'No one's going to kill us,'_ Abby signed. "He threatened them. Said he'd kill them if they spoke." _'Who is he, Soph? What does he want with you?'_

Sophie shook her head, tears falling from her eyes as she looked up. _'Not me, Abby. His boss wants you and Nick. He said…'_ Her hands faltered and she reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. _'He said he's been told he can keep me as a reward once he delivers you and Nick to his boss.'_

Relaying the information to McGee, knowing it would be heard by the others, Abby's hands began to move again, fluently coaxing information from her sister. _'No one's going to keep you and no one's going to hurt you, Sophie, I promise. I will never let that happen. Did he tell you anything about his boss? Or what he wants with me and Nick?'_

_'No. I thought his boss was going to be here tonight but there's been no one else, just him. He scares me, Abby. He keeps looking at me.'_

Easily imagining what her sister meant, Abby clenched her jaw after telling McGee what she'd said. _'When this is over, he'll never be able to look at you again. Is there anything else you remember that might help us? We know he's a bad guy. How did Nick get involved with him in the first place? Why? He's always been about the art, not about the money.'_

Sophie bit her lip guilty and looked away for a moment. _'Nick said he's tired of having to rely on you for everything. He said he wanted to prove he doesn't need looking after so when Alexis offered him the chance to get his name known, he went for it. He said… He said he'd pay for my surgery when he made enough money so I could be independent, too.'_

"What surgery?" Forgetting herself, Abby frowned. She watched Sophie's brow furrow and realised her sister had been watching her hands, not her lips, waiting for a response. "She said Nick got involved with Giovanni for the money but that it was all about selling his photos, not drugs," she said for the team's benefit, hands moving furiously as she continued speaking with her sister. _'What surgery, Sophie? This is the first I've heard of it.'_

_'I know. I'm sorry, Abby.' _Another tear tracked down Sophie's cheek and Abby had to fight the impulse to wipe it away. _'I read about an experimental surgery taking place to help people who were born deaf. It's only in trial stages and it costs a lot to get into if you can't get a referral. Doctor Johanson wouldn't refer me so Nick said he'd give me the money when he'd established his reputation.'_

_'Why didn't you come to me? I could've helped, I could've done something...' _Abby stopped signing so she could rub her eyes, struggling against the sting of moisture there.

_'You always help us, Abby. We're not kids anymore! We can't rely on you for the rest of our lives, it's just not fair! I didn't tell you about it because I knew you can't afford it, not without having to make some pretty big sacrifices and you've already made enough of those. And I didn't want you to feel bad about not being able to help.' _Sophie looked at her imploringly. _'Please don't be mad at me. I'm just so tired of being a burden.'_

_'You're not a burden, you're my sister.' _Unable to hide the tears shining in her eyes, Abby blinked them back. _'I love you, Sophie. I would do anything for you and Nick. It hurts that you didn't come to me with this, because Nick's now involved with this guy who is serious bad news and it could've all been prevented if you'd both just been honest with me and let me help.'_

"Abby?" McGee rose, putting a hand on her shoulder both as comfort and as support as he got to his feet. His hand moved to his gun. "They've lost sight of Giovanni. Boss said to meet them in the lobby."

_'Come on, Sophie. We've got to go inside. Stay behind me and you'll be safe.'_ Abby reached for her sister's hand, tugging her up to her feet so Sophie couldn't respond.

"Aww, isn't that sweet? Always the protective big sister." His smirk audible in his voice, Alexis Giovanni took the steps down to their level two at a time, the gun in his hand unwavering. His smirk widened when Abby stepped in front of her sister, pushing the slightly younger woman behind both her and McGee. "Has anyone ever told you you've got to let them go, Abigail? All little birdies need to fly the nest someday."

"Maybe they do but today is not that day." Abby stood her ground even as McGee tried to edge in front of her. "Who are you working for, Giovanni? What are they paying you to do this?"

"More than you can imagine," Giovanni answered, his eyes gleaming. "It's worth more than my life to tell you who he is, Abigail. He wants that honour for himself."

Eyes narrowed as she felt Sophie tremble behind her, Abby squared her shoulders against a flinch when the gun was pointed right between her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest but she refused to give in to her fear, knowing any information she could get out of him would be relayed back to Gibbs and his team and might help protect her family and hundreds of others even if the price she had to pay was her own life. "What does he want with us? Your boss is into terrorism, right? Stealing secrets and selling them to the highest bidder? What would he want with a photographer and a forensic scientist?"

For a second, Giovanni appeared surprised at what she knew. Then the smirk returned on his face, alongside the click of his weapon. "I don't want to kill you, Abigail, but I will if you stand in my way. He promised me Sophie and I plan to collect."

"If he wants me, he won't be happy if you kill me," Abby reasoned quietly. "Just tell me who he is and we can work this out. Maybe we can make a deal…"

"I'm not interested in a deal. I want what I'm owed." A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face but his aim of his weapon didn't falter. "I could kill you now, take her and be out of the country before he knows what's happened."

"You could be." Abby shrugged one shoulder, noticing a movement in the shadows out of the corner of her eye but telling herself not to react. "I'm thinking you don't just deal drugs, you take them, too. You're not looking so steady there, Giovanni. Give it up, protect yourself."

"If you put the gun down, we can talk," McGee spoke up, his arm tensed as he tracked the other man's movements with his gun. "You got in over your head, got involved with the wrong people… Give us the information we want to know and we can keep you safe."

"I can keep myself safe," Giovanni sneered. "I just want what's mine."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you but Sophie is mine and I'm not giving her to anyone." Her voice hard, Abby reached behind to take her sister's hand, squeezing it reassuringly even though Sophie couldn't hear her declaration. "Whoever he is, he had no right to promise her to you."

"Drop the weapon," McGee ordered, his voice loud in the otherwise quiet night. Abby wondered for a moment why he'd shouted, then realised he was trying to distract Giovanni from whoever was creeping up behind him. "You're only making it worse for yourself. Drop the weapon and we can talk."

"No. No, I don't want to talk." Giovanni shook his head. "He's on his way," he threatened McGee. "He's on his way and he'll kill you where you stand. He wants Nick and Abigail and you're not gonna be able to stop him from taking them. You can't stop me." His finger edged towards the trigger. "If the bitch's dead, he'll think you killed her. I'll tell him you killed her and I took Sophie because you were gonna kill her, too."

"Not going to happen. You won't make it out of here alive," McGee responded, his arm steady. "Final chance, Mr. Giovanni. Put the weapon down now."

His finger twitched over the trigger as two shots rang out in close succession. McGee pushed Abby and Sophie out of the way, a cry escaping his lips as a bullet grazed his arm. Giovanni dropped to the ground, blood pooling beneath him where it poured from the bullet-shaped wound in his shoulder.

Abby glanced up to see Hollis removing Giovanni's gun from his reach, her recently fired weapon still pointing at the man on the ground.

"Everyone okay?" Hollis asked, sparing them a brief glance.

Sophie wept quietly into her sister's shoulder, arms wrapped around Abby's waist as the sister's sat together on the cold ground. McGee groaned as he pushed himself up right, his face paling even more when he took in the blood staining the sleeve of his jacket.

"McGee!" Reaching out to him with the arm that wasn't holding her sister, Abby's eyes widened in alarm. "You got shot!"

"Just a scratch," McGee muttered, shrugging out of his jacket as the three other agents appeared. "It's nothing, Abby. Take care of your sister."

Abby frowned, torn between the two of them. She was relieved when Tony knelt down beside them and began teasing McGee about getting hit, the tone of voice not matching the concern in the senior agent's face. Wrapping both arms around Sophie, Abby looked up again to see Hollis and Ziva haul Giovanni up on his feet between the two of them.

Gibbs crouched down beside her, hand against her cheek. "You okay, Abs?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." She let herself lean into his palm. "I think I know who his boss is."

Instead of looking surprised, Gibbs nodded grimly. "I think I do, too."

She started to say more but cut herself off, eyes scanning the small group of people who'd left the gallery on hearing gun shots. "Where's Nick?" She wondered aloud, heart skipping a beat when she realised he wasn't among the crowd. "Gibbs? Where's my brother?"

* * *

The art gallery was evacuated following the shootings. Names and contact numbers were taken for all who were in attendance, even those who swore they'd seen or heard nothing out of the ordinary. Every room was checked and while a substantial amount of cocaine was found in one of the safes in the back rooms, there was no sign of Nicholas Sciuto or Amanda Layton.

Agent Mann escorted Giovanni to the hospital, accompanied by Officer Hasen. Tony and Ziva were left in charge of getting witness statements and collecting evidence while McGee submitted to Ducky's ministrations in the morgue and Abby helped Gibbs question her sister.

_'Is there anything else you can think of, Sophie? Anything that might help us find Nick?'_

Sophie shook her head. _'He wouldn't have left willingly. He wouldn't have left us in danger.'_

_'Are you sure?'_ Gibbs hated himself for asking, watching Abby tense beside her sister, but it was part of the job and, like it or not, that job included interrogating the Sciutos. _'Amanda's gone missing, too. Is it not possible they left together to go somewhere safe till this whole thing blows over?'_

_'It'll never blow over, Agent Gibbs. I don't know who Alexis was working for but I know they lent Nick a lot of money. Until Nick can pay it back, it's never going to be over.'_

_'What did he borrow the money for?'_

Sophie glanced at her sister before answering. _'He wanted to be able to take care of himself, and Amanda, without Abby's help. I think he invested it in something or maybe put a deposit down on a house of his own. Before he went to Europe, he and Amanda were arguing a lot about having to rely on Abby. Amanda told me he said he felt like he was still a kid, living in the house Abby owns, off the money she sends us.'_

_'Does Nick have any money of his own? Any source of income?'_

_'None. He spent his inheritance from our parents on travelling the world, sold his share of the house to Abby to get enough money to buy a car and new camera. The only money he and Amanda have between them is what Abby pays Amanda to stay with me and what little Nick makes from doing commercial work around town.'_

_'So he started to resent having to take money from his sister, went travelling with money he got from her and met Alexis Giovanni?'_

_'Alexis promised him fame. He gave him money as an advance on what he said Nick would earn. Nick was suspicious at first but Alexis said he'd shown some backers of his prints of Nick's work and they'd said to give him an advance to prove they were serious about it.'_

Gibbs nodded and signed a thank you to her, motioning for Abby to follow him to the corner of the interrogation room with the tilt of his head. "I'm going to have to ask her about your father, Abby."

"I know." Abby exhaled slowly, seeming to deflate in front of him. Her eyes searched his face. "I'm gonna have to tell her, aren't I?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, fingers brushing the skin of her neck above the collar of the t-shirt she'd changed into it. "I think it's gonna come out whether you tell her or not. She'll take it better coming from you."

"Ask her your questions first. I don't want to tell her in an interrogation room if it can be helped."

They returned to the table and Sophie gave Abby a questioning look as her sister once again settled in the chair beside her. _'Are you okay, Abby?'_

_'Fine. Gibbs has a few more questions he needs to ask, Soph, then we'll get out of here.' _Abby looked at Gibbs and nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Go on."

_'Did Alexis Giovanni ever mention why his boss was so interested in your family, Sophie?'_

_'Never.' _Sophie shook her head, her hands moving in quick, agitated motions. _'Not that I know of. He and Nick talked a lot but Amanda wasn't allowed to sign to me very often. I don't know she or Nick know but it was never mentioned to me. Do you know why? Has something happened?'_

_'We have a theory,' _Gibbs answered slowly, gaze shifting from her face to Abby's. _'We think the man behind this might be your father – your biological father. Sophie, have you seen or heard from Ryan Montague since he and your mother divorced?'_

She gave her answer in the way she hesitated, in the way she lowered her gaze guiltily and stared down at the hands she clasped together in her lap. Beside her, Abby removed her hand from her sister's arm and closed her eyes, not quick enough to stop a tear from sliding down her cheek but she'd managed to wipe it away before Sophie noticed it had been shed.

_'Sophie, we need you to tell us everything. We think he might be connected to an ongoing investigation.'_

_'You think he's the boss Alexis was talking about. The one who wanted Abby and Nick?'_ Sophie glanced at her sister, a pained look on her face when Abby kept her head bowed and eyes closed, no longer focused on the conversation. _'She'll never forgive us. The one thing she's asked us for since Mom and Dad died was to keep away from our father and let her know if he tried to get in touch and we didn't do it.'_

A tear ran down her face but Gibbs hardened his heart against feeling sorry for her, a feat that was easier to do when he glanced at Abby and saw pain in her own green eyes. _'Why did he contact you, Sophie? What did he want?'_

_'He said he didn't want anything – he just wanted to see his children, to be part of a family. He offered us money, Nick and me, when he found out Abby owns the house because we sold our shares to her when Mom and Dad died. Said he was trying to make amends for everything.'_

_'He didn't ask for anything in return? Didn't give you any conditions that you had to keep?'_

_'Just that we didn't tell Abby. That's why I refused to take any money off him. I'm not sure if Nick did or not, he never said, but after that first meeting, I refused to have anything to do with him. He didn't come to the house again after that but Amanda and Nick were acting weird for a while so they might've met him outside. I wouldn't know.'_

_'Because you refused to leave the house.'_ Gibbs did give her a sympathetic look then. _'Did he say why he didn't want Abby to know?'_

Giving her sister an apologetic look, Sophie signed her reply slowly. _'He said she wouldn't have forgiven him for leaving Mom and that she wouldn't approve of us seeing him again since he didn't get in touch once he left. He said he wanted to approach her in his own time, try making it up to her for what he did.'_

_'Did he say anything about how he'd come into his money? Anything at all about the line of work he's in?'_

_'He said he worked for the government but when Nick asked which one, he wouldn't give him a real answer. Just said that he had his fingers in many pies or something like that. He said he travelled a lot, if that helps at all.'_

A knock on the door to the interrogation room kept Gibbs was asking another question. He fixed the door with a glare as it opened, wondering who would risk his temper by disturbing him during an interrogation even if the person he was questioning wasn't a suspect in the true sense of the word.

Ziva appeared in the doorway, her stance apologetic. "Sorry to interrupt, Gibbs, but we have some CCTV footage we think you should see."

Gibbs motioned to the screen in the corner of the room. "Set it up."

* * *

The footage Ziva and Tony wanted to show him was from a building across from the art gallery, the camera of which focused on the back alley between it and the gallery's back door. Tony and Ziva joined them in interrogation, fast-forwarding until the time of the shooting.

"You can see Amanda Layton leaving the building of her own accord. She just stands around for a few minutes, then the car pulls up." As Tony narrated, a black limo pulled up beside the blond woman. After hesitating for a second, Amanda opened the door and got inside it. "Fast-forward a few more minutes and you see someone get out of the car – someone who clearly isn't Amanda. He gets out his phone, makes a call and a minute later…"

Nick Sciuto appeared at the back door, walking down the steps to greet the man who's back was to the camera. The two men held a conversation for a moment or two, with the stranger motioning to the car before Nick got in it, an unhappy expression on his face.

"He wasn't forced, Boss. He got in the car voluntarily." Tony kept his eyes fixed on Gibbs, not wanting to see Abby's reaction to the revelation.

"He may have been blackmailed," Ziva pointed out. "There is no audio on the tape nor do we have a clear view of Mr. Sciuto's face so we do not know what was said."

"Any way we can ID the guy he's taking to or get the plate of the car?"

"We don't get a clear view of the plate though Abby might be able to make something of the blurred image we do get. We do, however, get a look at our guy's face." Tony pressed play and they watched as the man turned, glancing up and down the street. Tony hit pause when his face was mostly to the camera. "Might be able to get a visual ID on him if we run it through the database…"

Abby cleared her throat from behind them. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the wall behind the chair where her sister sat with her head in her hands. "You don't need to run it through the database. His name is Ryan Montague. My father."

Her face paled as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She pushed herself up from the wall and left the room in a hurry, leaving the door open behind her. Gibbs hesitated for a split second, ordering Tony and Ziva not to leave the room with a look before he left in search of her.

* * *

On her knees, one hand holding her bunches back from her face, Abby closed her eyes and braced herself with the other arm against the toilet seat. She inhaled deeply through her mouth, waiting until she was sure her stomach had settled before twisting her body so her back was against one wall of the cubicle, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Tears streamed down her cheeks but she was helpless to stop them – just as she was helpless, she thought, at keeping her siblings safe.

The door to the ladies washroom swung open and she clenched her jaw to keep back a sob, body trembling with the effort.

"Abby?" She heard his footsteps cross the floor towards her but lowered her head and kept quiet. "I know you're in here, Abs."

She heard the doors to the other cubicles squeak on their hinges. "I'm fine, Gibbs," she said with a sigh. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Good. Then I'll wait." His feet appeared at the door to her cubicle and she watched as he moved to lean against the neighbouring door.

Abby stayed where she was for as long as she dared. She willed him to leave but knew he wouldn't, not until she'd faced him. She got to her feet unsteady and flushed the toilet, dragging her feet as she turned to unlock the door. "I'm okay."

"You don't look it." He studied her as she walked on wobbly legs to the sinks.

"Such a way with words. No wonder you've been married so many times." She kept her gaze fixed on her own reflection as she turned the cold tap and waited for the water to be at its coldest before splashing it over her face and rinsing out her mouth. Feeling a little bit better after the fact, she shut off the tap and closed her eyes. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Gibbs said nothing, just walked over to stand beside her, staring at her intently.

"It's my fault," she murmured, eyes closed even as she felt him move behind her. "I drove him to this." Still, he said nothing but she felt his arms wrap around her waist, drawing her back against him. "I belittled him, Gibbs, made him feel like a kid. That's why he did it. That's why he took Giovanni up on his offer, got involved with my father. I shouldn't have done it. I don't know what, exactly, but I shouldn't have done it."

"If you don't know what you did wrong, how can you be so sure you shouldn't have done it?" He clasped his hands together at her front, resting his chin on her shoulder. "All you've done is support them, take care of them. You did nothing wrong, Abby. This is not your fault."

A tear ran down her cheek and his hand rose to wipe it away. "How can it not be? Nick's mine, Gibbs. He's as good as mine and he's in trouble because of me." She turned in the circle of his arms, searching his face for answer he couldn't possibly have. "Why did he have to come back, Gibbs? What does he want with us?"

Not having an answer for her, Gibbs ran his hands over her back, drawing her closer until she was able to let her head rest on his shoulder.

* * *

Tony and Ziva met Abby, Gibbs and the two Directors in the lab, who were standing in front of the large screen against the far wall.

"McGee's with Sophie," Tony supplied before his boss could question him. "They're chatting up a storm."

"McGee can't sign." Abby frowned at him, glancing at the doors as though expecting her sister to be there.

Ziva shrugged her shoulders and moved to stand beside her father. "They are talking through email. McGee brought her a spare PDA so he can keep her company while she is waiting."

"I think he has a crush," Tony added confidingly, the grin sliding from his face at the look Gibbs threw him. "Which has nothing to do with the case at hand so we won't talk about that. Again. Ever. What do we know about Montague? Anyone?"

"He's our biological father," Abby answered softy, clicking a button on the hand-held remote she had to bring her father's record up on screen. "He comes from old money, wasted most of it drinking when he was married to my mother. Despite what Sophie and Nick believe, he didn't leave us out of choice. He was arrested for attempted murder and domestic abuse of both my mom and me."

Tony and Ziva exchanged looks. "Attempted murder of whom?"

Abby swallowed the lump in her throat, drawing strength from the hand Gibbs lay on her arm. "My brother. Nick was teething, crying. My father was drunk. To cut a long story short, I found him in Nick's room with a knife and we fought. He was arrested that night and my mother and I took out restraining orders against him so he couldn't come back. As far as I was aware, he had no interest in finding us and my brother and sister had no interest in finding him." Abby cleared her throat and clicked the button again. "We've managed to trace a couple of properties he owns both in the United States and parts of Europe, including several in DC which might be where he's hiding out. He was under investigation by the FBI for money laundering but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence. "

"Money laundering is a big step away from threatening national security," Director Vance commented, staring at the man on screen. He glanced at Abby out of the corner of his eye, trying to find some resemblance between father and daughter but failing to see it. "Anything to suggest why the sudden interest?"

"He's interested in money and always has been," Abby muttered under her breath. She cleared her throat at the marginal increase in pressure on her arm and pressed the button again. "He was cellmates, briefly, with a guy called Luis Arman. Arman was suspected of being involved in a fledging terrorist group but, again, there wasn't enough evidence to hold him on those charges. He was arrested for murdering a prostitute during Mardi Gras. It looks like my father got in touch with Arman's group when he was released from prison and picked up where Arman left off."

Peering at the screen at the second man who'd appeared on it, Director David frowned. "Is there a way we can track Mr. Arman?"

"Unfortunately not. He died in prison before he was due to be released." Abby pressed the button again and Arman disappeared, her father taking place in the centre of the screen. "I have the list of DC properties printed out. There's no residential listing for Ryan Montague but he does own three warehouses, a nightclub and a building currently being leased to a Chinese restaurant."

"Then it's over to you and your team, Agent Gibbs." Director Vance gave them a brief nod. "Keep me informed of your progress. There are several agencies waiting for me to contact them. Director David, will you be staying for the remainder of the investigation?"

Director David shook his head regretfully. "I wish I could, Leon, but there is a situation in Israel that I must attend to. My plane leaves this evening." He shook hands with the NCIS Director. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Officer Hasen will remain here for as long as you need him."

Director Vance left the lab for MTAC. Abby walked over to the printer, partly to get the print out of addresses and partly to give Ziva and her father some privacy. Gibbs shook the Mossad Director's hand and followed her, leaving Tony and Ziva to say their goodbyes.

"Agent DiNozzo, I regret that we will not be able to share an evening meal but I am pleased we were able to meet. It is good to know who is watching my daughter's back." Director David held out a hand and, after a brief hesitation, Tony took it. "I hope to see you again."

"Likewise, Sir. Have a safe journey home." After giving the man's hand a final shake and giving Ziva a look she couldn't decipher, Tony moved away, busying himself with memorising the details still on screen of Ryan Montague.

"My Ziva." Opening his arms to her, Director David embraced his daughter warmly. "I am glad you work with such good people," he murmured, his mouth close to her ear. "I see now why you are so attached to them."

Ziva blushed and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I told you they were good people. Thank you for allowing me to come back here. I wish you did not have to go so soon but I understand." She took a step back and smiled at him, composing herself in a split second from loving daughter to dutiful Mossad officer and liaison. "Let me know that you have arrived safely."

"I will." Director David promised. He walked away from her reluctantly, pausing on his way out of the lab to say goodbye to Abby. "My thoughts are with you, Abby. I hope your family is well."

"Thank you." Abby gave him a quick, impulsive hug. "Goodbye, Director."

Taking his leave of them, Director David glanced back once to see his daughter surrounded by her team, her friends. His heart eased a little at the sight, eyes lingering on Tony DiNozzo and the way the Special Agent stood a little closer than was necessary to Ziva, watching her carefully unaware he, too, was being watched. She was in good hands, Eli David decided with a sigh. Not her father's hands, but good hands nonetheless.

"DiNozzo, you and Ziva check out the addresses on the list. Discreetly." Gibbs passed one of the pages in his hand to Tony. "If there's anything suspicious, call it in. No going in without back up even if you make a positive ID."

"What are you going to do, Boss?" Tony folded the paper up, eyeing Gibbs curiously.

Gibbs arched an eyebrow at being questioned but said nothing on it. "I'm gonna go see if Giovanni is awake, see if he can give us an address or contact number. You have a problem with that?"

"Nope. Not at all, Boss." Tony motioned to the door. "Let's go, Ziva. I'm feeling generous so I'll even let you drive if you beat me to the garage."

"I will be driving regardless, DiNozzo." Ziva smirked at him and followed him out of the room. "I have the keys."

Gibbs rolled his eyes at their exchange. "I'll leave McGee here," he told Abby quietly. "If you want to take Sophie home, that's okay, just take McGee with you."

"Where do you mean by home?" Abby tilted her head to the side. "Your place or my place?"

"Home. The place you sleep at night, Abby." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked away.

"Right." Abby exhaled slowly. She glared at the image of her father on screen for a second, hitting the button to make the picture go away. Figuring McGee would be able to keep Sophie occupied for a little while longer, she opened a browser screen and started typing commands, starting a wider search on her father.

_

* * *

_

'You're good with computers,'

McGee typed admiringly, watching the answering smile spread across Sophie's face as her fingers flew over the keyboard in reply.

_'Not as good as Abby but I'm getting there. Not much else to do when you're in the house all day. She's mentioned you, Agent McGee. Said you're a good guy.'_

McGee lowered his head to hide his blush. _'I hope that's all she said. Abby has a way of saying too much sometimes.'_

Sophie smiled again. _'She said you'd dated casually. Said you were a really good guy and she hoped you found someone special. I read your book, too. Deep Six? It was really good. Is it true they're talking about making a movie of it?'_

_'There's talks going on but I don't really know anything yet. Think the guys would shoot me if it went ahead, though. They weren't so keen on it.'_

_'Well, you did base your characters on them.'_

_'Abby told you that?'_

Sophie shook her head, eyes focused on the screen as she typed. _'Not until I mentioned reading the book and said the character of Amy really reminded me of her. She found it funny that I thought so, then told me she knew the writer – you. I hope the movie goes ahead. I'd like to see it. Hopefully I'll be able to hear it, too, if I ever get into the trial.'_

_'Tell me more about the trial. I'm curious to know how it works.'_

_'I'm not really sure, to be honest,' _Sophie admitted with a wry smile. _'The way it was described to me is that the part of the ear that's causing the problem or obstruction will be removed and replaced with a bionic part. In my case, it might not be successful in both ears but there's a good chance they'll be able to make it work for one of them.'_

_'It'd be strange for you. Suddenly hearing for the first time in your life. I can't imagine what that's going to feel like.'_

_'Neither can I! :)' _Sophie lifted her hands from the keyboard to run them through her hair before continuing. _'I think the hardest part, assuming I'm lucky enough to get a place and it works, will be learning to speak aloud. I don't know how words sound. I know what they look like, how to sign them, what they mean, but I have no idea what they or anything else sounds like. It's a scary thought to be honest, I'm not really sure whether I want to get in or not.'_

_'You do. You wouldn't have done so much research or talk so animatedly about it if you didn't. I hope you get in, Sophie. You deserve it.'_

It was Sophie's turn to blush and she lifted her eyes from the screen long enough to give him a shy smile of thanks. _'You don't know me, Agent McGee. I hurt my sister and all she's ever done is take care of me.'_

_'She'll forgive you. Abby's got a big heart and she loves you. She'll understand.'_

_'I wish I could be so sure. I've never seen her so upset, not even when Mom and Dad died and she realised she'd be stuck taking care of us.'_ Sophie sighed. _'Speaking of Abby, she's on her way over here. Don't mention anything about the trial to her, okay? I don't want to bring it up yet. She'll just feel bad that I didn't tell her about it or that I can't afford it.'_

McGee nodded and hit the escape key just as Abby approached his desk, her bag slung over one shoulder. "Everything okay, Abby?"

"Yeah." Abby motioned to Sophie to join her and signed to her sister as she spoke to McGee. "Gibbs said we could go home once I was done in the lab."

"He said I had to go with you," McGee agreed quietly, standing and unhooking his jacket from the back of his chair.

"I know. Do you need to stop by your place on the way?" Relieved when he shook his head no, Abby let her shoulders slump in exhaustion. "Great. You know the way to Gibbs' house?"

If he was surprised at request, McGee didn't show it. Her sister, on the other hand, frowned in confusion. _'We're staying at Agent Gibbs' house? What's wrong with your apartment?'_

_'Nothing. I've just been staying with Gibbs for a while. Long story, Soph. I'll tell you sometime.'_ Having no intention of telling her sister about the events that had led to her change of address, Abby zipped up her jacket and turned expectantly to McGee. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Has he regained consciousness?" Foregoing any formal greeting, Gibbs met Mann and Hasen with a question.

"He has but he's refusing to talk to us," Hollis replied quietly, staring through the observation window at the handcuffed patient. "I'm 'the bitch who shot him' and Officer Hasen is too like 'the bastard screw up' he left in Israel."

Gibbs, too, watched their prisoner. "Was he on drugs when you shot him?"

"His Doctor found a high amount of cocaine in his blood. He's going through withdrawal, Jethro, and it isn't pretty. That's why we moved out here to keep an eye on him." Hollis stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. "Abby was right; he doesn't just deal drugs, he's an addict, too. It's going to be tough on him."

"Tougher still if he won't talk." Gibbs gave her a considering look. "Go get some sleep. I'll get someone here to cover when I leave."

"I'm fine," a yawn cut her off mid-protest and she smiled sheepishly in response to his arched eyebrow. "Okay. Want me to report back here or the Navy Yard?"

"Navy Yard will be fine. You okay to drive Hasen back to his hotel?"

Hollis gave the Mossad Officer beside her a quick smile and nod. "Of course. See you in a few hours."

The pair left, walking closely as they talked, earning a speculative glance from Gibbs before he stepped into the hospital room, shoulders squared.

"Mr. Gibbs," Giovanni snarled at him, straining against the handcuffs. "Or should that be Agent Gibbs? I was wondering when you were gonna show up."

"I'm here now." Keeping his voice calm, Gibbs stood at the edge of the bed, trying not to think about how close the man lying in front of him had come to shooting Abby. "You got something you want to tell me, Giovanni?" Giovanni swore at him and continued fighting against the metal holding him in place. "Like how you met Ryan Montague and got caught up in his games?"

Surprise arranged his features but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a desperate anger Gibbs recognised as being more to do with drug withdrawal than anything else. "Bastard used me. He'll kill me. Let me go. Get me out of these and I'll talk."

"I can't do that. You need medical attention." Dragging the plastic chair meant for visitors to where he stood, Gibbs straddled it casually. "I can keep you safe if you talk. Get guards on the door, 24-7. You're gonna go to prison, Giovanni, but I might be able to swing a reduced sentence for ya if you talk to me."

"Guards won't stop him," Giovanni spat. "He's got eyes everywhere. Followed me everywhere. He's probably watching right now. Watching and listening."

"That's the drugs talking," Gibbs said softly. "Just paranoia. There's no way he could've bugged this room, Alexis. Our guards will stop him but I'll only assign them to you if you tell me what I want to know."

Giovanni glared at him though his eyes couldn't stay in one spot for long. "I don't know anything. I'm an art dealer. I deal art."

"And drugs, but we'll get to that. You're fingerprints and DNA was found in Israel in a suspected terrorist base. You were working there with a man called Tariq Varlin. He got caught, you escaped. We also found fingerprints of Elanna Maslov and Simon Cross. Are they here in the US? Hiding with Montague?"

"Simon Cross is dead." Giovanni appeared smug. "Got cold feet when he found out Montague's daughter was NCIS. He refused to have anything to do with it and wanted out. Montague said he could go but he sent Elanna after him."

"Elanna Maslov killed him?"

Giovanni nodded and stopped fighting against the handcuffs. "She'd do anything the old man asked her to do. They're together, if you know what I mean. Elanna and Montague. She's young enough to be his daughter but that doesn't seem to matter." His smirk returned. "Doesn't seem to bother you, either. You're doing his daughter, right? The goth? She's hot. Much sexier than I was expecting but then Montague hasn't seen her in years, not since she was a kid. Maybe I should've asked for her instead of the deaf one. Bet she's real feisty in bed, right?"

Gibbs merely arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms over the back of the plastic chair. "Where's Cross's body?"

"In the freezer." Giovanni seemed surprised he didn't know such an obvious answer. "Montague couldn't risk it being found and having people ask questions till he's got Abby on side. That's what he wants her for, you see. He wants her to join the team, help him hide the evidence, use her expertise to make us untraceable. He thinks she'll agree to anything to keep her brother safe."

"Is the freezer where his headquarters is?"

"Below them. You really don't have anything, do you?" Giovanni struggled against the cuffs again, the clinking of metal against metal hurting his head but he refused to give up. "Let me go and I'll tell you more. Hell, I'll take you to it. Just get me out of these things and let me pick up some stuff from my place."

"By stuff, you mean cocaine." Gibbs kept his expression still. "I'm not going to do that, Giovanni. We're not doing this on your terms. You help me, then I help you."

Giovanni snarled. "You're just using me. You say you'll help but you won't. You'll put me away for the rest of my life or let him kill me."

"I'll do what I can if you help. You have my word on that."

They stared at one another for several long minutes. Giovanni gave up rattling the cuffs and sunk back down on the bed, sweat streaming down the sides of his pale face as exhaustion set in.

"You promise you'll do what you can?" Giovanni watched him warily, swallowing hard when Gibbs gave a nod in response. "Montague's staying in the apartment above the restaurant. Cross's body's in one of the spare freezers, locked up. The staff are all illegal immigrants; he threatened them with deportation if they said anything."

"How many people are staying with him?"

"At the apartment? Just Elanna." Giovanni closed his eyes in defeat. "The others are spread out but most of 'em will be in town at the moment. Montague wants to introduce his kids to the group; he's hoping having them on side will prove to everyone that he's serious."

"Serious about what?" Gibbs leaned forward slightly. "Is he a terrorist, Giovanni?"

Giovanni laughed then; a short, humourless sound. "No, Agent Gibbs. He doesn't care who he sells the information we collect for him to. He just wants to make money and prove he can do what other people can't. He doesn't give a shit about what happens after the money's in his hands. He wants to prove to the others he's serious about making money so they realise they can make money, too, if they stay loyal to him."

"I'll call those guards, and a lawyer." Gibbs got to his feet, sliding the chair away as he moved to stand closer to the head of the bed, leaning down until his face was inches from Giovanni's. "If you ever so much as think about Abby again, I'll kill you."

Giovanni opened his mouth to make a retort but snapped his jaw shut when he caught a glimpse of the threat glittering in Gibbs' icy blue eyes. He nodded wordlessly and closed his eyes as Gibbs straightened and left the room.

* * *

The Chinese restaurant was put under surveillance and guards were called to protect Giovanni as he recuperated in hospital. Satisfied that there was nothing else to do until morning, Gibbs decided to send Tony and Ziva home for a few hours sleep.

"Not really feeling tired, Boss," Tony protested, stretching his arms above his head. "I could do with something to eat, though," he added at the dark look Gibbs gave him. "You coming, Ziva?"

"Where?" Ziva shrugged into her jacket and fasted the belt around her waist. "I am off Chinese for some reason."

Tony grinned. "Wondering whether the chicken is really chicken? I was thinking about pizza. Beer and pizza, to be specific."

"As long as there are no anchovies," Ziva agreed easily, not sure who was more surprised by her assent: Tony, Gibbs or herself. "I will pay my share."

"Nah, it's on me." Tony swung an arm over her shoulders casually, leading her to the elevators. "Least I can do since you didn't kill me on the drive back."

Gibbs let them leave before following, stepping into the empty elevator when it returned. He let his head lean back against the cool, steel wall, a sigh escaping him when a hand kept the doors from closing completely. "Ducky."

"Jethro." His friend greeted him with a nod. "Heading home at last?"

"Need to get some sleep for tomorrow." The doors slid shut and Gibbs stood up straighter. "You talked to Abby."

It was the almost accusing way in which it was said that made Ducky raise an eyebrow. "I did."

Gibbs uncrossed his arms to let them fall at his sides, fists clenching and unclenching impulsively. "Next time you have something to say, say it to me. Abby has enough to deal with."

"I'm aware of that, Jethro, that's why I wanted to voice my concerns." Ducky sighed when his friend wouldn't look at him, reaching passed him to activate the emergency stop. "I don't understand why you're taking it so personally, Jethro. I merely expressed a concern that perhaps she was using her relationship with you to avoid facing what happened to her."

Gibbs turned, staring at his friend face-on, making them both uncomfortably aware of the height difference. "Steven Laffiter isn't the first man to lay his hands on her, Ducky, but he will be the last. We're both aware of what she went through and she doesn't need you or anyone else reminding her."

"You're talking about her father. Yes. At the time, I was unaware of the circumstances and if I caused her further upset, I will apologise but I will not be intimidated by you, Jethro. You are not the only one to care for Abigail." Ducky pulled himself up to his full height, his voice firm. "I am worried Abby will cease to be the woman we both know and love if she does not confront the fears she now has as a result of her experience with Laffiter. Do you really want her to become dependent on you, Jethro? To be afraid to leave the house without you?"

A beat of tense silence followed. Gibbs exhaled slowly, the tension easing from his body as his shoulders slumped and he took up a more casual stance. "No. No, I don't want her to change." He moved to lean against the wall, his head tipped back. "You're right, Duck, I'm sorry. She wants to take self-defence classes; I told her I'd help out and teach her how to use a gun."

"Your concern is understandable, Jethro." His own voice softer, Ducky sighed. "You really do care about her."

Gibbs looked at him through half-closed eyelids. "I love her," he admitted honestly. "I don't think... A woman hasn't meant this much to me since Shannon."

"I wondered as much. I've seen you with three of your wives, Jethro, not once have I seen you like this. Perhaps with Jenny, but not with any of the ex-Mrs. Gibbs." Ducky smiled. "You have a very special woman in Abigail. Both you and she deserve every bit of happiness you can get from this life."

A grateful look was all he could manage. Gibbs remained where he was as Ducky reactivated the elevator, moving only when the doors slid open. The two friends crossed the car lot together, saying their goodnights as they went their separate ways.

* * *

Gibbs drove automatically to his house, unable to focus all of his attention on the drive ahead so was grateful that there was little traffic on the roads. Only one light was on to greet him. The door was locked when he tried to open it but instead of being annoyed, he felt mildly relieved that McGee was thinking about security instead of either of the Sciuto sisters.

Unlocking the front door, he swung it open and stepped inside, stopping when Abby appeared in the t-shirt she used for sleeping and a pair of baggy sweatpants, a finger pressed to her lips.

"McGee's asleep on the couch. Sophie's sleeping in the spare room." She moved passed him to close the door, locking it securely. "You hungry? There are some leftovers in the kitchen?"

"I ate at work." He watched her, noting how comfortable she seemed in his house. "Could do with a drink, though."

Abby smiled. "I'll get you one. You want to work on your boat for a bit or just go to bed?"

"Bed, I think." Gibbs took his jacket off and dropped it over the banister of the stairs.

"Go on up. I'll get you a drink, turn off the lights and be up in a minute." She disappeared before he could speak, leaving him alone in the hallway.

Seeing no reason not to follow her orders, Gibbs made his way upstairs and to his room. He changed out of his suit, into sweatpants, and was searching for a t-shirt when the bedroom door opened and Abby stepped inside, two glasses in one hand, bottle of bourbon in the other. He decided to forgo the t-shirt, joining her as she settled on the bed and poured two generous helpings.

"Long day," she commented, sipping her own bourbon as he downed his in one. "Did Giovanni tell you what you needed to know?"

"He told me enough." Gibbs set his glass down on the bedside cabinet, taking her glass and doing the same. Raising his hands to her head, he untied the ponytail that kept her black hair in place, running his fingers through the silken strands. "You're beautiful, Abby."

She blushed under the intensity of his gaze. "Flattery isn't necessary, Gibbs. You've already got me in your bed."

"It's not flattery, it's the truth." His hands continued stroking through her hair, pushing it back from her face. He dropped his hands to her shoulders, trailing his fingers down her sides until he reached the bottom of the t-shirt, grabbing the material in his fists as he tugged it up gently. Abby raised her arms obediently, silently, letting him pull it off over her head. Throwing the t-shirt away, he returned his hands to her body. He held her slender waist in his hands, his thumbs moving in circles over her skin.

His eyes darkened and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly, tongue teasing her lips until she parted them for him. He pressed her back against the bed, hands blindly searching for hers as they shifted into a lying position. Lacing their fingers together either side of their heads, Gibbs kissed her slowly. He tore his mouth free of hers after several long moments, only for it to return after he'd caught his breath.

His hands left hers to run down her sides, nimble fingers slipping under the waistband of her sweatpants, easing them over her hips when she lifted them from the bed. Reluctantly tearing his mouth from hers again, he trailed his lips over her skin, down her neck. Together, they pushed her sweatpants down and Abby kicked them off as her own hands moved to his waistband, tugging his pants over his body, feet doing the rest of the work as she shifted the cradle him with her thighs, one hand moving to his head, stroking his hair gently as his lips teased her, caressing every part of her body he could reach.

Tugging his head back up to hers, Abby wound her arms around his neck when he settled against her, pulling his head down so she could kiss him sweetly. She gazed at him tenderly, lips swollen from his kisses, her cheeks flushed. He leaned in to claim her mouth again, tenderness giving way to desperation as urgency swept through him.

* * *

A while later, they lay together, breathing heavily as their bodies cooled and heartbeats gradually slowed. Shifting to pull the blankets out from underneath them and then over them, Abby threw an arm and a leg over his body, resting her head on the pillow beside his as she watched him reach over to shut off the light.

He lay back, his hand covering hers where it rested against his chest, turning his head to face her when he sensed her gaze on his face. "You ok?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She smiled but her eyes were worried. "You're different tonight."

"Different?" He shifted to stare up at the ceiling. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About the case?" She propped herself up on an elbow, looking down at him. "Is there something I should know?"

Gibbs shook his head slightly. "No. It'll be over tomorrow, Abby. One way or another."

She bit her lip, leaning forward. Her hair brushed his face and he found himself looking at her again, unable to resist the lure of her eyes. "Will you kill him if you have to?"

"Who?"

"My father. Nick. Either of them. If it comes down to it." She lowered her gaze. "I'm not going to ask you not to. And I won't... I won't blame you if you do. You've got to do your job, regardless of who they are."

"Abby... I can't make you any promises. I wish I could." He lifted their hands, pressed her palm against his lips. "I won't lie to you like that. And I won't say that I don't want Montague to hurt for what he did to you because I do. I can say that neither of them will get hurt if there's a way to take them into custody without it."

"Just do your job and be safe." She leaned down to kiss him, pouring her heart and soul into the kiss before settling back against him. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too."

Already counting her brother amongst those she'd loved and lost, Abby closed her eyes and tried to sleep through the ache in her chest. Gibbs lay awake for a long time after she fell into a fitful sleep, soothing her when she cried out, easing her back into sweeter dreams with his voice and touch.

* * *

The sun was shining and the cold breeze that had held the capital in its grip for the past few weeks gave way to gentle warmth that washed over its residents soothingly. It felt wrong to be going to work on such a beautiful day, wrong to have such a beautiful day ruined by the sense of threat and foreboding that hung over them.

In her lab, as far away from MTAC as she dared to be, Abby tried to keep her mind off Gibbs and his team as her sister exchanged emails on the computer in her office with her online friends. She found herself watching the clock, counting the seconds as they passed by, recalling the itinerary she'd unwillingly memorised of the day's events.

She knew the surveillance team were waiting for her father and Elanna Maslov to leave their apartment above the Chinese restaurant. As soon as they were gone, Gibbs and his team would follow while Hollis Mann led a team compromising of NCIS, FBI and CIA agents into the building. The first team, Gibbs' team, would follow, hoping he led them to the others involved, possibly her brother, while the second team collected as much evidence as possible and searched for the body Alexis Giovanni had told them was there.

It was the first team she couldn't stop worrying about.

Six Caf-Pows and eight hours later, her worry had increased tenfold. She couldn't sit still, couldn't concentrate on her work, yet couldn't bring herself to go to MTAC and ask the Director for a status update.

She jumped when the doors slid open to admit someone, pressing a hand to her heart when Ducky stepped over the threshold and immediately walked towards her.

"Have you heard anything? Is it over?"

"Abby." His expression grave, Ducky opened his arms to her. "My dear girl, come here."

Her back straightened to the point of pain. Abby wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her body from trembling. "Someone's hurt," she mumbled, searching his face. "Someone... Someone's dead?"

Ducky covered the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her tense frame. "I'm sorry, Abby. I'm so, so very sorry."

He caught her when her legs gave way, dropping to the ground beside her when they crumpled beneath her weight. He held her as she sobbed against his chest, rubbed her back as a father would soothe a child after a nightmare, wishing it would be as easy to make her pain go away.

* * *

He knew the moment he stepped into the warehouse that it was going to go wrong. It was more than a gut feeling, more than an instinct shouting at him to get his team and go.

Maybe the sight of Amanda Layton's body lying on the floor a few feet away from where he stood had something to do with it.

Her lifeless eyes stared up at nothing, dried blood from the jagged gash at her throat staining her skin, caking her clothes and colouring the floor beneath her.

Voices echoed around the room they were in and Gibbs motioned his team forward, sidestepping the body. There'd be time to see to the dead later; the living was his priority for now.

"You killed her. I can't believe you killed her." The voice belonged to Nick Sciuto and echoed around the building as the NCIS Agents approached the door to the larger section of the warehouse. "You just... She's dead."

"Calm down, Nick." A female voice purred, accompanied by the sound of heeled boots clicking against the cement floor. "We will take care of it. You do not need to worry."

"But you killed her. Just like that. Oh, god. There's so much blood..."

A low chuckle and a third voice joined the fray. "She'd outgrown her purpose, Nick. She wanted too much. Greedy people do not survive in this business for long."

"But I loved her. I loved her..." Disbelief bubbled to the surface and a long, drawn out moan accompanied the words. "I loved her and she's dead. I let you kill her."

"You could not have stopped us." The woman – Elanna Maslov – retorted sharply. "If you had tried, you, too, would be dead."

Gibbs moved so he could see into the room, frowning when he realised there were only three occupants. Three living occupants. There were two more bodies, dumped in a corner on the floor like trash.

"We do not need her, Nick. We don't need anyone else." His father, Ryan Montague, spoke soothingly in a strangely accented voice – parts of Europe mixed with a Southern drawl. "The three of us can accomplish so much together. And, once we have Abby..."

"Abby'll never join you. Us." Nick choked on the words, running a hand through his hair. "She won't... I can't believe I agreed to this. I can't believe... Oh, god, what've I done." He dropped to his knees, tears catching in the fluorescent light that shone down on him. "What did I do."

Elanna gave him a disapproving look, circling him until she stood beside his father. "I am disappointed," she declared, hands on her slim hips. She tossed her head, dark curls bouncing around her face. "I thought your son would be more like you, my love. Not so weak and spineless."

"Give him time, Ellie." Ryan Montague reached out for her his lover, drawing her into his arms. "It's still early days. Don't you remember how you were after your first kill?"

At his words, Nick gave another anguished moan. "I killed someone. I'm a killer. Oh god."

"I did not throw up and cry for my mother," Elanna responded dramatically. She wound her arms around Ryan's neck. "Do we really need him, Ryan? We have made so much money already..."

The sound of a bullet being fired rang through the building and echoed in his ears. Elanna slumped forward in her stunned lover's arms, blood oozing from the wound in her back. Ryan stepped back, letting her body fall to the floor as he reached for his own weapon.

"Don't." Nick rose to his feet slowly, still clutching the gun he'd used to kill one of his father's associates – the gun he'd used to kill Elanna. He pointed the gun at his father as Ryan Montague pointed his gun at him. "I'll do it. I'll kill you, too."

"Three kills in one night." Ryan Montague stared at him with cold respect. "Won't your sister be so proud."

"Keep her out of it. Keep them both out of it." Nick's arm wavered but stayed upright. "Why would you do this to me? You're my father! You're supposed to protect your children, not force them to kill..."

Ryan laughed loudly. "Your mother never told you. I'm not surprised. Abby, on the other hand... I'm surprised she didn't."

"Tell me what?" Nick stared at him. "I don't know what you mean."

"That's obvious," Ryan scoffed. "I mean that your sister hates me yet she let you continue to believe that I just left you. She didn't tell you that I beat your mother, did she? It was easy to do; she was too scared to say anything, too grateful for the children I gave her to leave. Then when she was pregnant, there was always Abby herself. She fought more than your mother ever did; she was always more of a challenge." He laughed again, a sound that sent shivers down Gibbs' spine. "She screamed, too. Cried most times but no one could hear her. Your mother slept through it, Sophie slept through it... Then there was you. You were my son and I was so pleased you weren't damaged like Sophie until you started crying. And wouldn't stop. You cried every night for a week and your useless mother slept through it. Abby didn't; she always tried to get to you and calm you down but not that night. That night I got to you first."

Nick's focus on the weapon in his hand faded, his grip loosening as he became distracted. Gibbs watched and motioned for Tony, McGee and Ziva to move into place.

"If I hadn't dropped the knife and cut myself picking it up, you would be dead." Ryan didn't seem at all bothered at telling his son the truth; he seemed to delight in watching the horrified realisation dawn on Nick's face. "She stopped me. Abby. Stabbed me with my own knife, stupid girl. Grabbed you, took you into her room. I followed her while your mother and Sophie slept on oblivious. There was so much blood shed that night, Nick; most of it mine but some of it hers. If I hadn't been so drunk, I would've killed her but she fought back, held her own." A note of pride crept into his voice. "She would've been such a good asset to have. Now I'll have to kill her after I've killed you. Can't have anyone linking me to this, can I?"

"It's too late, Ryan. You're already linked to it." Gibbs called out into the stunned silence that followed. "Federal Agents. You're surrounded. Put the gun on the floor and your hands above your head slowly."

Gibbs, along with McGee and Tony, emerged from the shadows, weapons pointed at father and son. Ziva remained hidden, moving stealthily along the wall behind Ryan Montague.

"Special Agent Gibbs, I presume." Ryan kept his arm steady, his eyes never leaving his son. "You're too late. The party's already started without you."

"It hasn't ended." Gibbs refused to let himself look at Nick, not even when the younger man began sobbing in earnest. "Put the gun down."

"Or you'll kill me?" Ryan grinned. "Surely not! I know too much. I can give you names of all of the spies within your precious agencies. Dates they supplied me with information."

"I'm sure a cautious man like you would keep that information saved somewhere secure for blackmail purposes." Gibbs didn't falter. "I've got no qualms about shooting you, Ryan. I'm just waiting for you to give me a reason."

"You'll shoot me because of what I did to my daughter?" Ryan's grin turned into a leer. "I heard on the grapevine that you're sleeping with her. I only hope she's a better lay than her mother was. My advice? Go for the foreign women. They know a thing or two about pleasing a man." His gaze didn't flicker. "Isn't that right, Officer David? I know you're there. The fourth member of the team. I'm surprised you're not the one screwing your boss but then it might just've been Elanna who went for the man in control. Which one of you is she doing? The strong Agent DiNozzo or the intellectual Agent McGee? Or perhaps you're doing the boss, too, and Abby doesn't know it. Or maybe she knows it and takes part. I don't really know my daughter very well so I couldn't say..."

"I think you've said enough." Tony's finger twitched on the trigger of his gun, angry outrage wrestling with the need to say calm.

Gibbs clenched and unclenched his jaw. "Put the gun down. Now."

"No, I don't think so. You're not going to shoot me, Agent Gibbs, because you know I'll put a bullet through Nick here if you try and how will you explain that to poor Abigail? 'Hi, honey, I'm home. I killed your father, who killed your brother but we got what we were looking for so it's all okay.' She loves her brother, Agent Gibbs. More than she values her own life." Ryan sounded disgusted at the thought. "If you're responsible for his death, I can guarantee you'll be ending any chance you have of warming her bed again."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" The angry scream came from Nick, the gun rising again in his unsteady hand. "Stop talking about her like that. She's not yours to talk about, you bastard! You sick, twisted, son of a bitch!"

Ryan chuckled. "Such language. Maybe you're more like me than we thought, hmm?"

"I am nothing like you." Nick's eyes blazed. "Nothing at all." His hand shook, his fingers trembling as they slid over the trigger. "I am nothing like you," he repeated, pulling the trigger back and firing a bullet into his father's chest, into his heart. "I am _nothing_ like _you_." A second shot rang out, hitting his father's shoulder as the older man fell to the floor. "You son of a bitch." A third joined the first and second, this time piercing the flesh of his father's stomach. Nick moved slowly closer to the body, pointing the gun at Ryan Montague's sightless eyes.

"Nick. That's enough." Gibbs kept his voice soft, his gun at the ready. Nick glanced at him, appearing surprised that there was anyone else in the room. Shock was beginning to set in, Gibbs saw, and felt a pang of sympathy for the young man who'd become a mass killer in such a short span of time. "You can put the gun down now. He's dead."

"He's dead." Nick repeated it slowly, dry lips struggling to form the words. He dropped the gun to the floor with a clattering sound that bounced off the walls. "I killed him. I killed all of them."

Gibbs approached the broken man as his team spread out. Tony called for back-up, Ziva and McGee explored the rest of the warehouse cautiously before declaring it clear.

"Boss, there's a laptop over here. Could have the info we're looking for."

"Bag it and tag it, McGee. You're responsible for finding it if it's there." The underlying meaning was clear; Abby's involvement in the case ended there and then. Speaking more quietly, Gibbs put a hand on the trembling arm of his lover's brother. "We're going to have to take you in for questioning, Nick. Do you understand that?"

Nick looked up, his face blank. "You'll have to arrest me. I killed people. I murdered them."

Gibbs inclined his head slightly. "There'll be an investigation; charges will be brought against you in due course. The more you cooperate, the more lenient the judge will be."

Nick nodded but Gibbs suspected he hadn't heard what had been said. He remained silent as Tony approached with handcuffs, pulling his arms behind his back and securing his wrists.

* * *

Black shoes flew off in both directions the moment she stumbled through the door. Abby couldn't care less about where they landed, just that they were finally off her feet.

She hated funerals; hated court even more.

She heard Gibbs say goodbye to McGee and made her way down into the basement. Her sister had opted to stay at her newly furnished apartment – formerly rented by Abby herself – instead of retiring to Gibbs' for the night and Abby suspected McGee planned to join her there after he'd managed to shake off Tony and Ziva – not a hard feat, she was sure, since the pair had taken to spending a lot of their off-work hours alone together. McGee was slowly learning sign language and Sophie was slowly learning to speak after being included in the exclusive trial thanks to a glowing recommendation from one Doctor Mallard and a generous contribution to the research facility hosting it by one Thom. E. Gemcity.

The entire team had turned out for the trial, determined to support Abby and her sister. Their support was appreciated but now it was over, Abby just wanted to forget about it. She couldn't bear the thought of her brother beginning his life sentence behind bars, couldn't stand to imagine him sitting alone in his cell, dwelling on what had happened.

She heard the door close and listened for the familiar footsteps on the stairs, not disappointed when they came just seconds later than she'd been expecting. Strong arms wrapped around her as she began sanding the newly applied planks, brow furrowed in concentration. "I'm okay."

"I didn't ask." Gibbs let his lips brush against her neck, reaching passed her to guide the motion of her hand with his.

She body lean back against his, turning her head to allow his lips better access to her neck as his hand continued to move hers over the wood, slowly smoothing out the rough surface. "You sure you don't want me to move in with Sophie?"

"I'm sure." His teeth grazed the sensitive skin and she shivered, holding back a gasp but releasing it as a sigh when his lips pressed against it.

"Keep that up and we won't get much work done on the boat tonight," Abby warned, no real annoyance in her voice as she closed her eyes and let him move their joint hands from the boat, sanding block falling to the floor, forgotten for the time being. He turned her to face him and walked her back against the skeleton of the boat. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not going to break."

Gibbs said nothing but moved his hands to her shoulders, kneading her muscles through the material covering them.

"It hurts." She spoke quietly, almost in a whisper. "It feels like I let him down."

"You didn't. He said so himself." His hands continued to work their magic, one moving to the back of her neck, rubbing the skin bared to his touch.

"Saying that doesn't make it any less true." She heaved a sigh, winding her own arms around his neck as she moved forward, forcing his hands to drop to her back as she clung onto him. "I feel like I've lost him. Like he died, too."

Again, he chose silence over a verbal reply, knowing there were no magic words to ease her pain and make everything better. Instead he held her, arms tightening around her when he felt the first tears fall against his neck, offering the only comfort he could, hoping it was enough to see her through.

A long while later, curled up on the former coffin in the corner of his basement – now with padded cushions and minus one wall – Abby began to speak in a low voice, telling him about her childhood, about the pranks she'd played on her brother, the way she'd ganged up against him with Sophie, letting the younger girl take credit for some of the jokes to help her feel part of their games.

He knew, listening to her, that she'd be okay. She was stronger than she looked, his Abby; she'd been through more than anyone realised and would continue to get through it, just as he would, by each other's side with the support of their friends, with the makeshift family they'd formed together.

* * *

_End_.

Thanks for all the lovely comments - I never know where/how to stop a story once I start so I hope it was okay :) :)


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